CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
West Nile virus has been detected in two different mosquito populations in Canyon County.
According to a press release from Canyon County, mosquitos collected south of Nampa, near Lake Lowell, and at the confluence of the Boise and Snake rivers west of Parma both tested positive for the disease.
This is the second reporting of West Nile in the Treasure Valley this summer and the first one to come out of Canyon County.
The Canyon County Mosquito Abatement District routinely sets gravid traps and dry ice baited EVS Traps at over 100 locations throughout Canyon County to monitor for adult mosquito populations and the presence of vector borne diseases, according to Jim Lunders, Director of Canyon County Mosquito Abatement District.
While the District has tested over 200 mosquito pools this season for West Nile virus, Wednesday’s pools were the first to test positive. The areas where the mosquitoes were collected have been treated for both larval and adult mosquitoes.
“With the increased risk of West Nile virus we encourage people to take appropriate precautions to protect themselves from mosquito bites,” Lunders said in the news release.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the United States. Most commonly spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito, most people infected with the virus do not feel sick. About one in five people who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms and about 1 out of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness, according to the CDC.
Lunders said that people should eliminate or treat sources of standing water such as bird baths, old tires, wading or swimming pools that are not in use, flooded fields and clogged drains. Anything holding water more than seven days can become a mosquito habitat.
Additionally, Lunders offered these suggestions:
- Wear repellents while outdoors at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when in mosquito-infested areas
- Use mosquito repellents containing DEET, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, Picaridin or 2- undecanone, making sure to follow the directions on the container
- Make sure all screen doors and windows are in good repair and fit tightly
- Vaccinate horses for West Nile and other diseases
- Use EPA registered residual insect sprays on horses, making sure to follow the directions on the container
- Have your livestock watering troughs stocked with mosquito fish for free by submitting a service request to the mosquito abatement district
- Notify the abatement district at 208-461-8633 if you have a site that is too large to be eliminated so it can be properly treated
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.
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