Issue date: 9/18/07 Section: NEWS

Media Credit: Whitney Buster [Click to enlarge]

Multiple West Nile-infected mosquitoes found in Denton this month triggered an increased risk level in the city, according to a Denton public health official.
Denton entered level four of its mosquito surveillance and response plan Sept. 7 after James Kennedy of the biology faculty and his team found positive samplings at two different Denton locations Aug. 28, said Ken Banks, city environmental quality manager.
According to the city's Web site, level four constitutes a moderate to high chance of human outbreak and calls for increased surveillance of mosquito populations.
Kennedy said the risk level increase means that infected mosquitoes carrying West Nile "are more prevalent now than earlier in the summer" when temperatures were cooler.
"The population will diminish about the first couple weeks of October," Kennedy said. "It will end the West Nile threat for all practical purposes."
Mosquito trapping and sampling is conducted in accordance with an agreement between NT and the city. Samples are screened at the Texas State Health Department, which identifies mosquito species and tests for a variety of viruses, including West Nile, Banks said.
"By having that information and by looking at other factors such as temperature, rainfall, soil, humidity and wind speed, we use that information to gauge where the populations are and gauge treatment methods and establish risk levels," Banks said.
In the event of a human outbreak, risk level five would be enacted and a sprayer is available for eradication, Banks said. For now, he said the city is targeting and eliminating mosquito larvae and continuing to process new sampling information.
"Even when you have a large amount of West Nile virus in a mosquito population, the majority of mosquitoes you encounter are not going to have West Nile," Banks said. "But folks should be aware of it and take precautions."
All are encouraged to eliminate standstill pools of water, use mosquito repellent and stay indoors during the dawn or dusk hours.
For more information about the city's surveillance and response plan, visit http://cityofdenton.com.

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