Great information for your CACs.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Debbie Roos <Debbie.Roos(a)chathamnc.org>
Date: Wed, Aug 15, 2012 at 1:22 PM
Subject: West Nile Virus in North Carolina
To: sustagchatham <sustagchatham(a)lists.ncsu.edu>
The email below is from NC State University Entomologist Dr. Mike
Waldvogel.****
** **
*Debbie Roos*
*Agricultural Extension Agent *
Chatham County Center****
North Carolina Cooperative Extension
919.542.8202
debbie_roos(a)ncsu.edu****
www.growingsmallfarms.org****
www.facebook.com/debbie.roos.nc****
www.twitter.com/GrowSmallFarms ****
** **
*All electronic mail messages in connection with State business which are
sent to or received by this account are subject to the NC Public Records
Law and may be disclosed to third parties.***
** **
Many of you probably saw or read reports about increased incidences of West
Nile Virus across the U.S. with the notable exception of a few states
including North Carolina. However, Wayne County has reported a death
attributed to West Nile Virus. At this point, there are only a few details
being provided about the person which is to be expected due to health
records privacy laws. However, the announcement from the Wayne County
Health Director’s office (as reported by the Goldsboro News-Argus)
described the victim as “elderly”.****
** **
Only about 1% of people who become infected develop severe illness and many
people may not become sick at all. In cases of people who do develop
symptoms (which takes 3-14 days), many of them may not attribute it to the
virus until it becomes severe. Among people that develop severe illness
(i.e., excluding those individuals who exhibit minimal or no symptoms), the
mortality rate ranges from about 3% to 15% with the rate being highest
among the elderly (as likely the case mentioned above).****
** **
West Nile Virus occurs far less frequently in people in North Carolina as
compared to other nearby states and it is far less frequent here than other
mosquito-borne diseases such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and
LaCrosse Encephalitis (LAC). EEE is more common in eastern NC while LAC is
found primarily in western NC. Birds are the “amplifying hosts” for the
virus which basically means that infected mosquitoes transmit the virus to
birds which are in turn bitten by other mosquitoes which acquire the virus
and spread it to even more birds. Some mosquitoes species feed primarily
on birds but the species that will readily feed on both birds and mammals
are the ones that pose the risk of spreading the disease to people. The
mosquito species that transmit West Nile Virus tend to breed in wastewater
collection areas and stagnating catch-basins. You can also find them
breeding where water collects after storms and begins to stagnate with the
abundant organic matter present. So, one obvious approach for residents is
to make sure that they clear stagnating water sources on their property.
It doesn’t matter if this water is on a 1000 acre farm or on a 0.1 acre
home lot, water that collects and stagnates has the potential to become a
mosquito breeding site. Across most of North Carolina, the Asian tiger
mosquito remains our most common pest species and it will exploit similar
pools of stagnating water on the ground and in man-made objects.****
** **
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, substantial rainfall (as we have seen
recently in many areas) is inevitably going to lead to a rise in mosquito
activity and the first response by individuals should focus on disrupting
those breeding pools rather than worrying about what to spray in their
yard. These were some of the particular points I mentioned previously,
but they're worth noting again:****
** **
- Bird baths - simply flush them out with a garden hose and you flush out
the mosquito larvae in the process. Plus, the birds will appreciate the
fresh water. For horse owners with water troughs near stalls or out in
pastures, one option is to use a product such as "Mosquito Dunks" which
contain the bacteria “Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis” which kills the
mosquito larvae (not the adults). Although you can use them in outdoor
water bowls for pets, it is far simpler (and better for your animals) if
you “tip and toss” the water from the bowl and replenish it with fresh
water *daily*.****
** **
- Old cans, tires, etc. - empty them and get rid of them (legally, not
simply tossed along the highway to become someone else’s problem).****
** **
- Outdoor flower pots - empty the water from the dishes/trays underneath
them. Your plants have plenty of water without the overflow. This also
helps reduce fungus gnat problems in the plant soil.****
** **
- Remove all of that built-up debris from your gutters. The water and
decaying material attract mosquitoes.****
** **
- Rain barrels – if you collect water from your gutters or some other
system, make sure the barrel is screened to keep out debris and mosquitoes**
**
** **
- Tarps that cover your boat, grill, firewood, etc. also collect pockets of
water that can remain for 1-2 weeks.****
** **
- The bed of that '57 Ford pickup that you've been “restoring” for the last
25 years can collect water particularly if the tailgate faces uphill in
your yard.****
** **
- Kids' pools - if they're not being used by kids, they're probably being
used by the mosquitoes (and maybe some toads) – empty them. The same thing
applies to pools (in ground or above ground) that aren't maintained (e.g.,
pools on abandoned or foreclosed properties).****
** **
- Drainage ditches - they're meant to collect storm water temporarily. Keep
them free of debris so that water flows and has time to filter into the
soil.****
** **
- Decorative fish ponds can be a source of mosquitoes if they contain a lot
of vegetation that provides hiding places for the mosquito larvae.
“Mosquito Dunks” are an option here.****
** **
- Tree holes - when limbs fall off trees, the remaining hole in the trunk
can collect water. Flush that out or put a small piece of a mosquito dunk
into it.****
** **
Another critical matter – personal protection. The majority of
mosquito-borne disease incidences, whether they’re human or equine, are due
to a lack of personal protection. Horse owners need to spend the time and
money to get their horses vaccinated against EEE. For us two-legged
creatures, we simply need to take precautions when we’re outdoors for work
or recreation. If it’s too uncomfortable to wear long-sleeved shirts and
long pants, then cover all *exposed* areas of the skin with an insect
repellent (see
http://insects.ncsu.edu/Urban/repellents.htm). A few other
important points about using repellents:****
** **
- Do not put repellent on skin that will be covered by clothing.****
** **
- Children spend a lot of time outdoors, particularly when school is not
in session. The greater the amount of time spent outdoors can increase the
likelihood of getting bitten by a mosquito (and potentially a higher
likelihood of being bitten by an infected mosquito). Before applying a
repellent to a child, read the label carefully to make sure that it
contains concentration appropriate for use on children.****
** **
- When using repellents on children - you should apply the product to your
hands and then rub it on their arms, legs, neck, etc. If you allow your
child to rub repellent on their arms and legs, they need to wash their
hands immediately afterwards because they will inevitably forget and either
rub their eyes or stick their fingers in their mouths.****
** **
One other point that I mentioned a few weeks ago - mosquitoes have no
concept of property lines. They are simply out there looking for a blood
meal whether it's you or your neighbor. Mosquito "control" may be a matter
of spraying chemicals to reduce the population below nuisance levels. On
the other hand, mosquito *management* is what is often needed. It is a
long-term proactive project that requires a community effort in order to
succeed.****
** **
We have information on mosquito control on the web at
http://insects.ncsu.edu/Urban/mosquito.htm.****
** **
** **
Michael Waldvogel, PhD****
Extension Assoc. Professor & Specialist, Structural & Industrial Pests ****
North Carolina State University****
Dept. of Entomology****
Box 7613****
100 Derieux Place ****
Raleigh, NC USA 27695-7613****
Ph: 919.515.8881 ****
Fax: 919.515.7746 ****
Cell: 919.780-8179****
Email: mike_waldvogel(a)ncsu.edu****
http://entomology.ncsu.edu/waldvogel****
** **
** **
__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus
signature database 7388 (20120815) __________
The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
http://www.eset.com