Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mosquito abatement board reports West Nile detections; residents urged to remove standing water
Summary
A Mosquito Abatement Board representative told the council that recent surveillance found mosquitoes positive for West Nile and urged residents to remove standing water; she reviewed recent case counts and prevention practices.
At the citizen comment portion of the Nov. 19 meeting, Carrie Seal, who represents the Mosquito Abatement Board, updated the council on mosquito surveillance and public-health concerns.
Seal said the board attended a statewide conference and reviewed surveillance results. She reported that 29 mosquitoes tested positive for West Nile in recent collections and that four animals (reported as horses in the presentation) were identified as infected. She noted that testing and seasonal counts vary by area and urged residents to eliminate standing water in containers, tires and ponds where mosquito eggs can overwinter.
Seal also spoke about broader trends and the role of travel and global flights in spreading vector-borne organisms, explained why abatement work requires bilingual outreach in some areas, and described new abatement efforts on a 20,000-acre reservation where increased illness led to a new local abatement program.
Quotations
"There was 29 mosquitoes caught with West Nile, but only 4 had contaminated any livestock, which was 4 horses," Seal said while summarizing recent surveillance findings.
What comes next
Seal asked the city to pass along prevention advice to residents (clear standing water, check buckets and tires) and thanked the council for support of the board. No formal city action was taken; the report was provided as information to the council and residents.
