After mosquito samples tested positive for West Nile Virus, the Allegheny County Health Department announced today that seven neighborhoods will be treated this week.
On Thursday from 8 to 11 p.m., residents in the Hazelwood, South Side Slopes, Arlington, Mt. Oliver, Carrick, Knoxville and Beltzhoover areas should expect to see crews at work. They will use truck-mounted ultra-low-volume sprayers to dispense very fine aerosol droplets that kill flying mosquitoes on contact.
The sprayers disperse a pesticide called Zenivex E20, a low-risk insecticide not harmful to humans or pets, to help lower the local mosquito population and minimize the risk of people contracting the virus, according to an Allegheny County Health Department news release.
West Nile Virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Graham Snyder, an infectious disease expert for UPMC, said that horses can also contract West Nile Virus. But while horses can be vaccinated or treated for the virus, there is no vaccine or treatment for humans who get West Nile.
“Only one in five people infected with the virus develop a fever and other symptoms, such as headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. Less than 1 percent of infected people develop a serious illness,” the release said.
Once someone is infected with West Nile Virus, it takes at least two days to notice the symptoms. Roughly 80% of people won’t even exhibit any symptoms, Snyder said.
“To deter mosquito bites, we encourage people to use insect repellent on exposed skin or to wear long sleeves and pants. Both methods are effective at reducing or eliminating the possibility of getting a mosquito bite,” said Allegheny County Health Department Vector Control Specialist Nicholas Baldauf in the release.
Because mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, “residents should pay close attention to potential breeding sites like stagnant water in tires, unused swimming pools, buckets, corrugated piping and clogged gutters,” the release said.
The Allegheny County Health Department could not be reached for comment Monday.
Megan Trotter is a TribLive staff writer. She can be reached at mtrotter@triblive.com.
