Printed From: Avian Flu Talk
Category: State Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Louisiana
Forum Description: (General discussion & latest news)
URL: http://www.avianflutalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=37477 Printed Date: April 25 2024 at 10:18am
Topic: New Orleans: West NilePosted By: Technophobe
Subject: New Orleans: West Nile
Date Posted: June 23 2018 at 2:08pm
West Nile virus found in New Orleans
Updated ; Posted
West Nile virus has been found in mosquitoes collected in Orleans
Parish, the city's Mosquito, Termite and Rodent Control Board said
Friday (June 22).
City officials are urging residents to protect themselves from the
virus by removing containers that hold standing water, which can become
mosquito breeding sites. City crews will also continue truck and aerial
spraying and apply larvicide to storm drains.
Residents can also avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes by limiting
outdoor activities between dusk and dawn, using insect repellents, and
maintaining screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out of
homes.
No West Nile cases in humans have been reported in New Orleans this summer, city officials said.
West Nile is a mosquito-transmitted pathogen that primarily infects
birds. On occasion, bird-biting mosquitoes can bite humans and transmit
the virus.
The virus can be dangerous, especially for people 65 years and up or
in people who are immunocompromised. Symptoms in humans are flu-like,
though most people who have a West Nile infection don't show symptoms.
Here's more guidance from New Orleans city officials about West Nile virus:
Protecting Yourself
Reduce mosquito exposure by limiting outdoor activities between dusk
and dawn. Use air-conditioning and make sure window and door screens are
in good repair to prevent mosquitoes from getting inside. If outside
for long periods of time, wear long-sleeved shirts and pants. The CDC
recommends using repellents containing EPA-registered, active
ingredients including DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of
lemon-eucalyptus.When using repellent, always follow the recommendations
on the product label. Click here for more information on protecting
yourself from West Nile virus
Protecting Your Home
Eliminate standing water around your home, where
mosquitoes breed. Remove trash and clutter; dispose of discarded tires
and containers that can hold water. Turn over wading pools, buckets,
trash cans, children's toys or anything that could collect water.Change
water weekly in containers that cannot be removed, such as pet dishes or
bird baths. Scrub the sides of the containers each we to remove the
eggs that have been deposited. Rain barrels and other water collection
devices must be screened, and collected water should be used within one
week.Aerate ornamental pools, fountains and sugar kettles or stock them
with fish. Report illegal dumping, water leaks and unattended swimming
pools by calling 311. Call 311 or email mosquitocontrol@nola.gov to
report mosquito problems.
Tires are easily filled with water by rain and collect
leaf litter, providing an ideal breeding site for mosquito larvae.
Eliminating scrap tire dumps will eliminate a prolific mosquito habitat.
Residents can place up to four tires weekly, stacked
curbside along with their household trash.Tires in front of abandoned
lots will not be collected; they must be moved in front of a residence
with curbside collection.Residents can also bring up to four tires to
the City's Recycling Drop-off Center on the second Saturday of each
month at 2829 Elysian Fields Ave. between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.