Pennsylvania Launches West Nile Virus Surveillance Program
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) State officials recently
launched Pennsylvania’s pro
gram to detect and control mos
quitoes that carry West Nile
virus, announcing $3.3 million in
grants to counties for mosquito
surveillance and control.
“West Nile vims was detected
in Pennsylvania for the first time
last year,” Health Secretary Rob
ert S. Zimmerman Jr., said.
“Fortunately, no person here was
diagnosed with the virus. But last
year’s experience makes it clear
that Pennsylvania’s surveillance
efforts must continue.”
Last year, West Nile virus was
found in 19 counties: Bucks;
Bradford; Chester; Cumberland;
Dauphin; Delaware; Erie; Frank
lin; Lehigh; Montgomery; North
ampton; Philadelphia; Pike;
Schuylkill; Susquehanna; Tioga;
Union; Wyoming; and York. It
was identified in 32 birds, 45
mosquito pools and a horse.
Pennsylvania’s plan has three
parts; public and professional ed
ucation; surveillance; and, if sur
veillance determines there is a
risk, the control of mosquitoes
that carry the vims.
Your Cows Comfortable
J “TUNNEL VENTILATION” Z
m Comfortable Cows jnV ventilation "
J Produce More Milk "
- --L* Jt?
Free Stall Barn. Robesohia. PA
-■ ■ - «> ■■■
ATTENTION FREESTALL &
TIE STALL BARN OWNERS!
Let Us Show You A Recent Installation of a
Tunnel Ventilation System
Z Barn Ko
Z Fans
All Sizes
In Stock
Receive
Year-Round
benefits for your
livestock with a
Schaefer Barn
Kooler
“This year, we’re expanding
our effort to detect and track
mosquitoes that carry the vims,”
Acting Environmental Protection
Secretary David E. Hess said.
“We’re partnering with more
counties to detect and control
mosquitoes, and we’re giving
them $3.3 million in grants to
cover the cost of equipment, sup
plies and training needs.
“But you and I have an impor
tant job to do this summer, too
we need to eliminate any stand
ing water around our homes.
Look around your house and
neighborhood. You may not real
ize it, but just one small sandbox
bucket filled halfway with water
can produce up to 1,000 mosqui
toes.
The Department of Environ
mental Protection (DEP) is coor
dinating the mosquito-surveil
lance and -control portion of the
multi-agency effort. DEP has
been working with county West
Nile coordinators to establish
mosquito-monitoring sites across
the Commonwealth to trap mos
quitoes and sample larvae.
“I want to thank the county
CEDAR CREST
EQUIPMENT
Parts Stores: East Earl—7l7-354-0584 • Quarryviile—
800-646-6601
Tie Stall Barn. M
339 King Street, Myersl
West Nile coordinators, who
were essential in helping us track
the vims and find mosquitoes,”
Hess said. “With their help last
year, we captured more than
500,000 mosquitoes and sent
more than 2,100 samples for test
ing. Most important, we now
have a better understanding of
where mosquitoes breed and
where we need to target our con
trol efforts.”
DEP and county West Nile
coordinators will look for imma
ture (larvae and pupae) and
adult mosquitoes to determine if
they are the species known to
carry the virus, how many there
are and their geographic distri
bution.
If these mosquitoes are de
tected, they will be controlled
using a powdered form of natu
rally occurring bacteria that is
harmless to humans and other
aquatic life. To collect mosqui
toes, DEP and county coordina
tors use equipment like light
traps, gravid traps and dippers.
If the Department of Health’s
epidemiologist determines there
is an outbreak or the potential
erstown, PA
for an outbreak, a mosquito-con
trol program would be initiated.
Adult mosquitoes carrying the
virus would be controlled
through localized pesticide
spraying. Only U.S. Environ
mental Protection Agency
(EPA)-approved pesticides will
be used, by state Department of
Agriculture-certified applicators.
The departments of Health
and Agriculture will perform lab
oratory testing to determine the
presence of the virus in the speci
mens from mosquitoes, birds, an
imals and humans.
“Similar to people, horses only
become infected with West Nile
virus after being bitten by an in
fected mosquito,” Agriculture
Secretary Hayes said. “We’re
continuing to work with veteri
narians and horse owners across
the state to monitor horse popu
lations.”
Secretary Zimmerman also re
minded residents to report dead
birds by calling
1-877-PA-HEALTH toll free, be
cause they can be an indication
that West Nile virus is present in
an area.
West Nile virus previously
only was found in Africa, East
ern Europe and West Asia. Mos
quitoes acquire the virus from in
fected birds and horses. Those
mosquitoes then transmit the
virus to people and other ani
mals.
The virus, when transmitted to
people, can cause West Nile en
cephalitis, an infection that can
cause an inflammation of the
We Salute Our Farming Industry
• Heats home and household hot water
• Connects to your existing central duct
or hydronic system
• Shaker grates —~
*Built at the same location for 25 years, (since 1976)
★ 10-year warranty ★
Underwriters
\j>y Laboratories lnc«
Williamson Enterprises
Toll Free 877/606-3113
E-mail; willi46@hotmail.com • Fax- 601/660-0070
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 14,2001-A35
brain. Anyone can get the virus,
but older adults and people with
compromised immune systems
have the highest risk of develop
ing severe illness because their
bodies have a harder time fight
ing off disease.
West Nile virus cases occur
primarily in the late summer or
early fall, although mosquito sea
son is usually April to October.
The virus only can be spread by
mosquitoes after they feed on in
fected birds and then bite people
or animals, not by person-to-per
son contact.
People can take their normal
summertime precautions to pre
vent insect bites, such as reduc
ing outdoor exposure during
peak mosquito active periods;
wearing long-sleeved shirts and
long pants; and applying insect
repellent sparingly to exposed
skin.
Gov. Ridge’s 2001-02 budget
proposes $ll.l million to contin
ue efforts to prevent and mitigate
the potential public-health effects
of West Nile virus on Pennsylva
nians. The funds would provide
necessary staffing and epidemio
logical infrastructure.
A website about West Nile
virus through the PA Power-
Port at www.state.pa.us or di
rectly at www.WestNile.sta
te.pa.us has been established
to provide citizens with back
ground information and regular
updates. Visitors can log on and
sign up to receive news releases
and other updates on West Nile
automatically by e-mail.
• All stainless steel construction
• No smoke, ashes or wood trash in
your home
• Bums wood up to 16” diameter and
30” long
•12 hour bum
• Locate it 10 to 100 feet from your
home