WEST CHESTER, PA — The Chester County Health Department announced it will conduct a mosquito control treatment spray in portions of West Goshen, East Goshen, and Westtown Townships on Thursday, August 25th from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm. The need to conduct the control treatment follows the confirmation of multiple mosquito samples that tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV) in the area. The rain date is Monday, August 29th from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm.
A map of the area where the mosquito control treatment will occur is below.
The Chester County Health Department conducts mosquito control treatment in areas with high levels of mosquito activity and where multiple mosquito samples have tested positive for WNV. After exhausting other available mosquito control strategies, treatment is conducted to reduce residents’ risk of WNV infection. Anyone living in an area where mosquitoes are infected with WNV is at risk, but the risk of infection is highest for people who work outside or participate in outdoor activities. Less than one percent of people infected may develop serious illness. While serious illness can occur in people of any age, people over 60 years of age, people who have received organ transplants, and people with certain medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease are at the greatest risk for serious illness.
The Chester County Health Department uses a truck-mounted sprayer to apply 3.0 ounces of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved product (Zenivex E4 RTU) per acre of land. The mosquito control treatment becomes inactive in just a few hours, or with sunshine. Treatments are conducted after sunset, when mosquitoes are most active, and bees have returned to their hives. Sprayers are turned off near bodies of water and apiaries to protect aquatic life and bees.
The Chester County Health Department notifies registered beekeepers and residents who are listed as hypersensitive in a designated treatment area prior to conducting a treatment. People who are concerned about exposure to mosquito control products can reduce their potential for exposure by staying indoors with children and pets when their neighborhood is being treated. If you would like to take extra precautions after the treatment is completed, you can rinse off outdoor furniture or playground equipment before use.
While these types of treatments help reduce mosquito populations, the Chester County Health Department encourages residents to take action on their own property to make it a “Bite-Free Zone.” For additional information, visit www.chesco.org/3624/Mosquito-Borne-Diseases.
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