St. John mosquito sample tests positive for West Nile Virus
Published 5:31 pm Friday, August 28, 2015
LAPLACE — St. John Mosquito Control announced today it detected positive cases of the West Nile Virus in St. John the Baptist Parish, specifically in the Main Street area of LaPlace and Edgard.
The sample was taken from a mosquito in a trapping location.
Personnel are being assigned to inspect the immediate sampling area and will continue outward for an approximate one- to five-city-block area depending on the geographic location, the topography and the surrounding conditions in an effort to locate the breeding sites. Once the breeding sites are located, St. John Mosquito control will address the sites as necessary.
Residents and the immediate area within a one- to five-city-block radius of the sampling site will receive information regarding the heightened potential for encephalitis infection in the neighborhood along with recommendations for personal protection and yard sanitation.
Additional spraying in the impacted zones will take place during the evening hours today, Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting.
August and September are peak times for mosquitoes and all residents are encouraged to take additional precautions when outdoors.
Protecting People
- If outside, wear a mosquito repellent containing DEET. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not recommend use of repellents with more than 30 percent DEET for children. Insect repellents are not recommended for children younger than 2 months of age. CDC recommends following the recommendations appearing on the product label when using repellent.
- Apply repellent on exposed skin and clothing – do not apply under clothes or on broken skin
- To apply repellent to face, spray on hands and rub on face, avoiding eyes
- Adults should always apply repellent to children
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants when outdoors for long periods of time
- Avoid perfumes and colognes when outdoors for extended periods of time
Protecting Your Home
- Make sure all windows and doors are tight-fitting and screens are free of holes
- Eliminating standing water where mosquitoes breed
- Dispose of tin cans, ceramic pots and other unnecessary containers
- Turn over wheelbarrows, plastic wading pools, buckets, trash cans, children’s toys or anything that could collect water
- Drill holes in the bottom of outdoor recycling containers
- Check and clean roof gutters routinely, as they can produce millions of mosquitoes each season
- Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish; water gardens can become major mosquito producers if they are allowed to stagnate
