CALDWELL, ID – The West Nile virus has been detected in mosquitoes collected Wednesday, July 24th, 2024, located West of Parma, Idaho. “This is the second Treasure Valley County reporting positive mosquito pools,” said Jim Lunders, Director of Canyon County Mosquito Abatement District.
Lunders explained that the Canyon County Mosquito Abatement District routinely sets gravid traps and dry ice-baited EVS Traps at over 100 locations throughout Canyon County to monitor for adult mosquito populations and the presence of vector-borne diseases. To date, the District has tested over 1,009 mosquito pools this season for West Nile virus, Wednesday’s pools were the first to test positive.
The areas where the mosquitoes were collected have been treated for both larval and adult mosquitoes. The District has increased control measures in response to the increased public health threat. With the increased risk of West Nile virus, they encourage people to take appropriate precautions to protect themselves from mosquito bites. The Canyon County Mosquito Abatement District offered the following suggestions to reduce the risk of exposure to West Nile virus:
- Eliminate or treat all sources of standing water that can be a breeding ground for biting mosquitoes, such as:
- flooded fields
- birdbaths
- wading & swimming pools not in use
- clogged gutters
- old tires
If it holds water for 7 days, it can produce mosquitoes.
- Wear repellents while outdoors at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when in mosquito-infested areas.
- Use mosquito repellents containing DEET, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, Picaridin or 2-undecanone, making sure to follow the directions on the container.
- Make sure all screen doors and windows are in good repair and fit tightly.
- Vaccinate horses for WNv, WEE, and other diseases.
- Use EPA-registered residual insect sprays on horses, making sure to follow the directions on the container.
- Have your livestock watering troughs stocked with mosquitofish for free by submitting a service request to CCMAD.
- Notify the District at (208) 461-8633 if you have a site that is too large to be eliminated so it can be properly treated.
Additional information on mosquitoes and the diseases they carry can be found at the following links:
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/health-wellness/diseases-conditions/west-nile-virus
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/index.html
Canyon County Mosquito Abatement District https://www.2cmad.org/
For more information, please contact the Director of Constituent Services, Aaron Williams at (208) 614-5011.