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Monroe County vector control reports West Nile virus detections; urges property cleanup and offers treatments
Summary
County vector control coordinator Aaron Lombard reported two mosquito samples that tested positive for West Nile virus and described surveillance and response strategies, including larval control and limited spraying, and urged residents to remove standing water.
Aaron Lombard, Monroe County—s vector control coordinator, reported to the commissioners on July 16 that two routine mosquito samples trapped the week of June 16 tested positive for West Nile virus.
"These samples tested positive for West Nile virus," Lombard said, and he identified the sample sites as a park in Stroudsburg Borough and a wastewater facility in Stroud Township—habitats he described as conducive to mosquito breeding. Lombard described the program—s weekly trapping and monitoring and the steps the program takes when it detects high mosquito counts or viral activity: barrier sprays with backpack sprayers, occasional ultra-low-volume truck sprays, increased larval surveillance and targeted larval control, long-term treatments in storm drains and outreach to municipalities and property owners.
Lombard said he has used backpack sprays around sites that showed high trap counts and reported measurable reductions after treatments, citing one wastewater facility trap that dropped to zero mosquitoes after a spray and a park location where counts dropped roughly 300% following treatment. He said the program prioritizes protective work near congregate or vulnerable facilities, including nursing homes, day-care centers and schools.
On products and safety, Lombard said the program has a required pesticide discharge management plan and uses products such as Bti, a naturally derived bacterial larvicide sold for general use. He said long-term larval control products are used where water persists and that outreach materials and quick cards are available for municipalities and residents.
Lombard urged residents to eliminate standing water, recycle or remove tires, and report persistent standing water to the vector-control office; he said anonymous notifications are acceptable and that the program will inspect and, where needed, apply larval control measures. "If anyone's driving down the road and they're seeing standing water, please let me know about it, and I will respond as quickly as possible," Lombard said.
Why it matters: Detection of West Nile virus in local mosquito samples triggers heightened surveillance and targeted control to reduce risk to people, particularly older adults and immunocompromised residents.
