Providers will be reminded about the requirement to report cases of suspected pesticide poisoning to the State's Pesticide Poisoning Registry. Research indicates that during the months of August and September the risk of human illness from West Nile virus increases. This is because the virus must amplify through a cycle of infection that includes mosquitoes, birds and small mammals before it reaches a level that poses a human health threat. By intervening now, to clean up standing water where mosquitoes breed, and continuing these prevention strategies throughout the spring and summer, individuals can dramatically reduce the human health threat. Remove all discarded tires on your property.
Used tires are the most common mosquito breeding ground.
Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers that are kept outdoors. Make sure gutters drain properly, and clean clogged gutters in the spring and fall. Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use. Change the water in bird baths. Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas and hot tubs.