Delta County gears up for West Nile virus peak season

Daily Press Writer

DELTA — Mosquito bites in Delta County have become more than just an itchy nuisance. Along with those hard-to-detect creatures looms the fear of disease, specifically West Nile virus, that lingers over those little irritating bumps.

The Delta County Environmental Health Division has enabled a plan to tackle the West Nile virus and to educate the public on what steps can be taken to decrease chances of contracting the virus.

County Director of Environmental Health Kenneth Nordstrom said response levels have been initiated, mosquito control districts have been established in both Delta and the Paonia and Hotchkiss area and public education plans are underway

The plan to control the West Nile virus and educate the public on the risks of the disease is in response to the extremely high impact the virus had on Delta County last summer.

“We aren’t going to completely eliminate the disease,” Nordstrom said. “We do have a response plan for various levels of activity, but we need to rely on personal responsibility and personal protection.”

Nordstrom recommends the four D’s protection plan that originate from the Health Division’s “Fight the Bite” campaign: draining, dusk and dawn, dress and DEET, an insect repellent.

Nordstrom explained that swampy, cool and moist areas attract mosquitoes, and can become their hatching grounds. By draining any areas that accumulate stagnant water, residents can decrease the chances of mosquitoes breeding in their backyard.

Public education efforts will put emphasis on property maintenance to eliminate breeding grounds and habitat. Outreach procedures regarding draining include emptying gated pipes, turning off irrigation water when not in use and draining tail water at the end of fields so water flows freely.

The second “D” in the campaign, dusk and dawn, refers to the times of the day when mosquitoes are most prevalent, and therefore most likely to spread the disease. Nordstrom suggests that people limit their outdoor activities during these times.

If being outside during dusk and dawn is unavoidable, people can protect themselves by following the third “D” — dressing in long-sleeved shirts and pants to fend of bites.

And the last “D,” DEET, is an insect repellent that should be used as much as possible when a person is expecting to be outdoors during dusk or dawn hours.

Persuading the public to follow steps to avoid the virus is just one part of the health division’s plan. It has created response levels according to the probability of human outbreak, with response level one holding a probability of zero, and response level seven meaning transmission of the virus is in full swing.

According to the proposed plan, if level seven is reached this summer, the health division will provide the public with daily information regarding the status of outbreaks, as well as expand mosquito control activities.

If the disease becomes prevalent, most likely during peak season in mid-July, the Health Division will plan to trap mosquitoes on a weekly basis, Nordstrom said.

The trapped mosquitoes will then be sent to the State Health Department laboratory for testing of the disease.

Currently there are mosquito trapping sites spread across Delta County. Five are located in Delta within 1.5 miles of the Uncompahgre and Gunnison rivers. Also, five trapping sites are placed in the Surface Creek area, and 10 in the Northfork Valley. The trapping sites are assembled in shady and cool areas away from people in order to attract the greatest number of mosquitoes.

The Health Division also held public information meetings and planning meetings in February, March and April of this year.

Additional efforts include, but are not limited to, providing mosquito repellent wipes and spray for individuals and nonprofit groups in exchange for a donation; “Fight the Bite” campaign posters and brochures at public buildings and local gatherings and the development of education programs and curriculum for school age children.

Delta County saw a significant number of West Nile virus cases spread rapidly during peak season last summer, which prompted the Health Division to respond with an active plan to control the future spread of the virus.

Mosquitoes contract the virus from the Corvidae bird family, which include crows, ravens, magpies and jays. Humans are solely exposed to the virus from a mosquito’s bite, not from infected birds or infected humans.

According to information collected by the Center for Disease Control, Colorado ranked third in the nation for human West Nile virus cases in 2006. Idaho totaled 996 human cases, Texas reported 354 cases, and Colorado saw 345 cases. The information, however, did not consider population density when calculating human cases across the United States.

Contact Marissa Brunner via e-mail at marissab@montrosepress.com