FIGHT
THE
BITE!
Inside: How to fight mosquitoes yearround Page 2 Public-health threat: Invasive species Page 2
Local woman battles deadly West Nile virus Page 3 Stay safe: How to choose and apply repellent Page 3 Your FAQs answered Page 4 A special advertising supplement
Fight the Bite! All Year Long
Four seasons of mosquito prevention and protection to help keep your family safe
Spring
Summer
• Mosquito season officially kicks off as temperatures warm.
• Both mosquito and West Nile virus activity peak from June to August. Wear repellent, long-sleeve shirts and long pants when outdoors, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
• Mosquitoes in the genus Aedes are abundant at mountainous elevations as the snow melts. • At foothill elevations, aggressive Aedes sierrensis mosquitoes peak in early spring. Aedes is a vector for animal heartworm, so treat your pets monthly. • Make sure all windows and doors are fitted with screens, and that screens have no tears. • Mosquitoes need water to breed. Remove, turn over or cover any containers that collect rainwater. • West Nile virus begins appearing in bird populations. Report any dead birds to your mosquito and vector control district.
Fall • Mosquito season and West Nile virus cases can last into September and October. • Continue with the Three Ds: Drain water, Defend with repellent, call your District for help. • Keep rain gutters and storm drains clear of leaves and debris to ensure water drains easily.
• The hotter the temperature, the faster mosquitoes reproduce. Drain or change water in bird baths and feeders, pet bowls, flowerpot saucers and fountains every few days. • Maintain pools and spas properly, and report unmaintained pools to your district. • T hink you have a mosquito problem? Call your district for help.
Winter • M osquitoes need warm temperatures to grow from larvae to adult, so winter’s chill drops their numbers. The larvae of some species can survive all winter in water, though, so continue draining standing water. • Bugged by a bite in the middle of winter? It’s probably Anopheles freeborni, which hibernates through winter but will rouse around February and seek a blood meal to tide it over until spring. • Aedes mosquitoes lay eggs that can survive in the snow! Their eggs hatch in the spring snowmelt to start the cycle over.
Melody Kenney, pictured with her daughter, Jaclyn, went from being active and healthy to nearly paralyzed after being bitten by a mosquito infected with West Nile virus. Photo by Brad Garrison
The Road to Reco Woman partially paralyzed after West Nile virus infection
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elody Kenney, 56, was enjoying doctors worked toward a proper the cool night air in her Redding diagnosis. She began feeling pain all backyard in August 2007 when she over her body. felt a mosquito biting her foot. She “I had three kids by natural birth, flicked it off and didn’t think much but this was much worse,” Kenney about it as she went inside to start says. “They finally ordered a spinal cooking dinner for her family. But in tap and you’re awake during that. that brief span of seconds, her life It was very painful. That’s when I was instantly changed. learned I had West Nile virus.” A former dry-cleaning van driver, Kenney led a very active lifestyle running routes to offices and homes to pick up and deliver clothes. She was also a busy mom raising three children. Seven days after the mosquito bite, she began feeling severe flu-like symptoms. First, there Melody Kenney was nausea. Then came the dizzy spells and tunnel vision. Something West Nile virus survivor was wrong. “The next day, I felt even sicker,” Kenney says. “I couldn’t eat and Kenney says she had heard I was having trouble breathing. I about West Nile virus in the area called my sister who is a nurse and before — mostly in horses. But she she called an ambulance for me never thought it was something that after I collapsed while I was on the could happen to her. By the time phone with her. I went straight to the she was diagnosed, the pain was [intensive care unit].” excruciating. West Nile virus attacks It wasn’t immediately apparent the neurosystem and can cause brain what was ailing Kenney. For two damage, paralysis and even death. It weeks, her doctors were at a loss, is typically transmitted from bird to ordering several tests with all of mosquito and then to a human host. them coming back with negative Her doctors gave her morphine to results. Kenney says it was like she help control the pain and waited for was in the middle of an episode of her to recover. the television drama “House,” as Two months later, Kenney was she fell more and more ill while her transferred to a rehabilitation facility.
2| Fight the Bite! | A collaboration of Placer and Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control Districts | A Special Advertising Supplement
“ I had three kids by natural birth, but this was much worse.”
Unwanted Guests
Invasive mosquito species and why they’re dangerous by Mike Blount
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rare, but like the tropical disease West Nile osquito species that are not native to California are sometimes introduced virus, they could become real threats if the invasive mosquito species that transmit into the state through international shipping them are not controlled. and trade. If they proliferate and begin to take a foothold, they have the potential to endanger public safety by spreading debilitating diseases. Merry Holliday-Hanson, president of the Board of Trustees for the Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District, says mosquito and vector control districts must continually perform surveillance and work with the public to stop invasive mosquito species before they become a serious threat . Merry Holliday-Hanson Holliday-Hanson spent years studying President of the Board of Trustees for the Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District invasive mosquito species and holds a doctorate in entomology. She says two particularly dangerous “These two species are container breeders, meaning they can lay their eggs species, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, serve as vectors for dengue in anything that holds even a small amount of water,” Holliday-Hanson says. “Aedes virus and chikungunya virus. Dengue virus, also known as breakbone fever, causes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, became extreme pain in joints and can be fatal. established in the United States after it was These invasive species also spread the viral shipped here in a shipment of used tires. Likewise, Aedes aegypti was also shipped disease yellow fever, which causes muscle pain, nausea and, in extreme cases, damage here in containers holding water from areas where they are endemic.” to the liver and kidneys. These viruses are
“ It’s going to be a challenge for all of California if these species become established.”
overy by Mike Blount
By then, she was unable to even hold herself up and she weighed just 80 pounds. Doctors recommended physical therapy to help her regain muscle control in her legs. “I thought that at any time, I would get feeling back and I would be able to walk again,” Kenney says. “When I was leaving the hospital, they brought me a wheelchair and I told them, ‘I’m not going to need that.’ They said, ‘Yes, you are.’” Kenney was unable to use her legs at all and had trouble using her arms. Through hard work, Kenney was able to gain some feeling back in her feet . She was able to stand with the aid of a walker. Unfortunately, she was unable to continue physical therapy because it was not covered by Medicare. With new Medi-Cal coverage, she’s returning to physical therapy later this year and she’s optimistic about making even more progress. “When I get back into physical therapy, I’m going to go full blown,” Kenney says. “It was really hard on my husband. He died of congestive heart failure a few months after I was in the hospital. My kids have helped me a lot and I have an in-home support specialist that comes to help me four hours every day. But I’m looking forward to going back into physical therapy.”
Spray Mosquitoes
While both species have a foothold in the Southeast United States, HollidayHanson says they have yet to establish themselves in California. But there is concern that either species could spread into the state quickly if mosquito and vector control districts are not vigilant. “It’s going to be a challenge for all of California if these species become established,” Holliday-Hanson says. “They can breed in something as small as a thimble full of water. Think about all the discarded cups along the freeway that could hold water.” Thankfully, there are systems in place to quickly detect both species. Special traps are used that encourage females to lay their eggs. And since both Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus prefer to coexist with humans, where they are breeding is usually not far from where they are detected. Through a combination of surveillance and source reduction, mosquito and vector control districts can keep both species from making California their home. “Everyone’s working very collaboratively to take the best course of action to prevent these species from taking a foothold,” Holliday-Hanson says.
Away
Keep your family safe from West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses. Use a mosquito repellent, consistently and correctly, anytime you go outside. Here are some tips:
DON’Ts:
DOs: ✔✔ Choose a repellent containing the EPA-approved active ingredients DEET, picardin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
✔✔ Always use repellent when
you spend time outdoors, and especially at dawn and dusk.
✔✔
ead and follow all label R instructions.
✔✔ Spray repellent lightly over every
area of exposed skin — a mosquito can find a patch of untreated skin the size of a dime!
✔✔ Reapply as often as directed by label instructions.
✘✘ Don’t apply repellent to broken or irritated skin.
✘✘ Don’t spray repellent on heavily.
Applying heavy coats of repellent doesn’t make it work better or last longer.
✘✘ Don’t spray repellent near eyes,
nose and mouth. Spray repellent into your hands instead and then rub on face.
✘✘ Don’t apply repellent to areas of
children’s hands that are likely to come in contact with the eyes or mouth.
✘✘ Don’t inhale or ingest repellent.
✔✔ Cover skin by wearing loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
A Special Advertising Supplement | www.shastamosquito.org | www.placermosquito.org | Fight the Bite! | 3
Left: Joel Buettner is the general manager of Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District. Right: Peter Bonkrude is the district manager of Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control District.
Contact your Control District for help!
Mosquito Control
101
Frequently asked questions answered by Vector Control District by Mike Blount Managers Peter Bonkrude and Joel Buettner What are mosquito and vector control districts and why is it important to control the mosquito population? Mosquito and vector control districts are organizations dedicated to monitoring and controlling mosquitoes and other vectors that pose public health risks. Mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue virus and West Nile virus can cause many debilitating effects and — in extreme cases — even death. Peter Bonkrude, district manager of Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control District, says his organization was founded in 1919 to fight malaria outbreaks.
How do mosquito and vector control districts determine places that need service? Both Shasta and Placer mosquito and vector control districts use a combination of surveying, source reduction and traps to determine areas where mosquitoes are breeding and whether they are infected with any disease. They also interact with the public in neighborhoods to find problem areas.
How are mosquito and vector control districts working to be environmentally safe? The mosquito and vector control districts in Shasta and Placer counties use an integrated pest management program. These utilize several tools to have the least impact on the environment as possible, including public outreach and education, source reduction and biological control.
Chemical control can be used to target mosquito larvae and adult mosquitoes with Environmental Protection Agencyapproved pesticides. “We use just enough pesticides in the areas we need to achieve the results we want to achieve,” says Joel Buettner, general manager of Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District.
What are some things people can do at their homes to help control mosquito populations?
What we do Surveillance/lab monitoring: Weekly traps are set and specimens are tested for the presence of mosquito-borne diseases.
19200 Latona Road Anderson, CA 96007 530-365-3768 contact@shastamosquito.org www.shastamosquito.org
Mosquitofish: Gambusia affinis are a form of biological control that feed on unhatched mosquito larvae. Mosquitofish are distributed in abandoned or unused pools, spas, ponds and other bodies of water. Educational presentations: Staff provide educational presentations year-round to groups of all ages. Insect identification: Send in suspected public health pests to your district for identification and testing.
Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District
Mosquito control updates: The district will notify you of planned mosquito control treatments and provide information on vector-borne diseases detected in the area. Visit your district’s website for spraying and disease update details.
2021 Opportunity Drive
oseville, CA 95678 R Toll Free:1-888-768-2343 916-380-5444 info@placermosquito.org www.placermosquito.org
Vector control: Other vectors, such as mice, ticks and yellowjackets, are monitored and controlled.
Mosquito and Vector Control Districts of Northern California PINE GROVE MAD BURNEY BASIN MAD
TRINITY
Bonkrude says the most important thing homeowners can do is eliminate any standing water around their property, including gutters, buckets, birdbaths and anything collecting rain water. If there is a birdbath or pet water bowl, make sure to change out the water every three days. If there are water sources that cannot be eliminated, or you are unsure of how to keep mosquitoes breeding on your property, call your local mosquito and vector control district so it can evaluate the best control method.
SHASTA REDDING
LASSEN
SHASTA MVCD
T E H A M A CO. MVCD
TEHAMA PLUMAS BUTTE
GLENN
CHICO G L E N N CO. MVCD
How does drought affect mosquito breeding? While less standing water means there are fewer places for mosquitoes to breed, drought could potentially lead to more mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus. Since West Nile virus is typically transmitted from bird to bird, more birds will congregate around fewer water sources. The potential for a mosquito to bite an infected bird and pass the disease on to a human becomes greater.
Residential and commercial services: District employees survey your home or business and help you eliminate mosquitoes and the areas where they breed.
Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control District
DURHAM MAD
SIERRA
B U T T E CO. MVCD OROVILLE MAD
COLUSA MAD
LAKE
COLUSA L A K E CO. VCD
NEVADA YUBA
PLACER
SUTTER-YUBA MVCD
AUBURN
YOLO
SUTTER
E L D O R A D O CO. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
PLACER MVCD
SONOMA SACRAMENTO
N A PA
SACRAMENTO-YOLO MVCD
SACRAMENTO
S OLANO
Produced for Shasta and Placer Mosquito and Vector Control Districts by N&R Publications, www.newsreviewpublications.com
EL DORADO
AMADOR