Montco Health Department announces mosquito and West Nile Virus prevention guidelines

Information was provided by the Montgomery County Office of Communications

The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Office of Public Health (MCOPH) has announced prevention guidelines for the onset of mosquito season, helping residents protect themselves from mosquito-borne diseases and prevent their spread.

Mosquito-borne disease can spread to animals and people through the bite of an infected mosquito. The most common mosquito-borne disease in Montgomery County is West Nile Virus (WNV), usually transmitted between infected birds and mosquitoes. Zika virus is another emerging mosquito-borne illness.

Residents who want to receive 48-hour advanced notifications from the Office of Public Health directly to their phone or email can create a ReadyMontco account at http://readymontco.org. The ReadyMontco notification system delivers alerts about severe weather and other important events, including mosquito sprays in Montgomery County. Be sure to select the jurisdiction of residence or others of interest for targeted notifications.

To reduce the likelihood of being bitten by a disease-carrying mosquito, MCOPH recommends that residents take the following steps to reduce their exposure to mosquitoes:

• Check and repair windows and screens to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home.
• Survey your property and eliminate standing water, dispose of containers that can collect standing water such as old tires, cans, bottles, buckets, and toys. Anything that can hold water for five days can breed thousands of mosquitoes. Eliminating standing water has proven effective in controlling WNV
• After it rains, empty plant containers, bird baths, flowerpots, kiddie pools, and pool covers to keep water from collecting in these items.
• Make sure roof gutters drain properly and rooftops are free of standing water.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas, and hot tubs. Keep them empty and covered if not in use; drain water that collects in pool covers.
• Drill several holes in the bottom of recycling buckets so water can drain from them. Cover trash containers so rain cannot accumulate in them.
• Since clothing can help reduce mosquito bites, wear long-sleeves, long pants, and socks when outdoors to help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
• Use an approved mosquito repellent when outdoors in areas where mosquitoes are active. Apply insect repellent sparingly to exposed skin. Follow the label directions carefully. Do NOT apply repellent to the face.

MCOPH will soon begin routine mosquito surveillance and control throughout Montgomery County to monitor trends in mosquito patterns in our region. If disease-carrying mosquitoes are found in a specific area that could pose a threat to human health, pesticide spraying may be necessary in the targeted area.

Information about mosquito-borne diseases can be found on the CDC website.