With summer weather at hand, Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger this week asked Pennsylvanians to make every effort to control mosquitoes and reduce the threat of the West Nile Virus.

 

Secretary Hanger said standing water can quickly become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. He asked all Pennsylvanians to follow the simple rule of dump it, drain it and treat it.

 

"Dump it if it has water in it; drain it if it can be drained; and treat it if it has standing water," said Secretary Hanger. "By taking these simple actions in your own backyard, you can eliminate those breeding areas and reduce your chances of contracting the virus."

 

Certain mosquitoes species carry West Nile virus, which, when transmitted to people, can cause West Nile encephalitis, an infection that can result in an inflammation of the brain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all residents in areas where virus activity has been identified are at risk of getting West Nile encephalitis.

 

In 2003, the year before Pennsylvania integrated a pest management program that led to better identifying and controlling mosquito populations, the virus was detected in all 67 counties. There were 237 confirmed human cases with nine deaths. Since then, there have not been more than 25 confirmed human cases in any given year.

 

Secretary Hanger said the West Nile virus was detected in 37 counties last year. There were 14

persons diagnosed with the disease with one confirmed death.

 

The first positive result of 2009 was found in an American crow collected in Springettsbury Township, York County, on May 5. This is the second-earliest reported evidence of West Nile Virus in Pennsylvania since 2003, when West Nile virus was identified in late April of that year.

 

Tips to eliminate standing water include:

 

-- Throw away tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar water—holding containers that have accumulated on property.

 

-- Pay special attention to discarded tires, which can hold stagnant water.

 

-- Maintain drainage holes that are located on the sides of gardening containers that might allow enough water to collect for mosquitoes to develop.

 

-- Clean clogged roof gutters as needed.

 

-- Turn over plastic wading pools, wheelbarrows and birdbaths when not in use.

 

-- Aerate ornamental pools or stick them with fish.

 

-- Clean and chlorinate swimming pools that are not being used.

 

-- Use landscaping to eliminate standing water that collects on your property.

 

For more information, visit the West Nile Virus website.