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Protective Measures Against Mosquitoes As West Nile Virus

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The Louisiana Department of Health is advising the public to use mosquito repellent, even though many people may have plans to spend the three-day weekend outside.

This year, more than 100 mosquito pools had West Nile present, more than double the amount from this time last year and significantly earlier than typical, according to LDH.

LDH urges protective measures

Accordingly, over the past couple of years, the months of August have witnessed the greatest counts of positive mosquito pools, according to state epidemiologist Theresa Sokol. “I want people to be aware that there is currently a risk for West Nile,” the speaker said.

The bigger the number, the greater the likelihood that the West Nile Virus will spread among people. Sokol advised the public to adopt certain preventative measures rather than to panic.

According to Sokol, “it’s incredibly impossible to predict what will happen in a mosquito season or even how high levels of mosquito populations that are positive will transfer into human infections.”

The city-agency parish’s for controlling rodents and mosquitoes, Randy Vaeth, said they had been actively watching sites in Baker and along Highland and Perkins roads. the positive news In East Baton Rouge, there aren’t many mosquitoes. However, that will alter.

“This is just the beginning for us. There will be more mosquitoes about. Six mosquito sample tests came back positive for the virus last week, according to Vaeth.

To maintain low mosquito populations, the agency is working extra hours. One human case of West Nile Virus has been confirmed in the state by the health department. According to LDH, the person is asymptomatic and in good health.

According to state health officials, there are numerous ways to avoid mosquito bites. Advice for avoiding mosquito bites:

  • If you plan to spend time outside, you should wear EPA-registered insect repellent and always read and obey product labels.
  • Do not use repellent on broken flesh or beneath your clothes; only use it on exposed skin and exposed clothing.
  • If you’re also using sunscreen, apply it first, followed by the bug repellent.
  • Make sure that windows and doors are tightly fitting and that all screens are free of holes to prevent mosquito exposure when inside.

Take these precautions to keep mosquitoes out of your house:

  • Eliminate standing water around your home to reduce the mosquito population because this is where they breed.
  • Get rid of ceramic pots, tin cans, and other unused containers that have accumulated on your property that could hold water. Any items that could gather water, such as wheelbarrows, plastic wading pools, buckets, trash cans, and children’s toys, should be turned over
  • On the bottom of outdoor recycling bins, drill holes. If there are holes on the edges of a recycling container, there is still area for the container to gather water for mosquitoes to reproduce, thus if there aren’t already holes there, they should be added.
  • Regularly inspect and clean the roof gutters. Every season, clogged gutters can create millions of mosquitoes.
  • If left to stagnate, water gardens and decorative pools can become significant mosquito producers. Take action to stop stagnation by using aeration or adding fish.
  • Inactive swimming pools should be cleaned and chlorinated. For as little as a month, a family’s neglect of a swimming pool might result in enough mosquitoes to cause complaints throughout the area. Be careful that water that gathers on swimming pool covers may even serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
  • To report mosquito issue locations, get in touch with your local mosquito abatement districts.

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