Bayou Vista mosquito pool tests positive for West Nile

In the past few weeks, several mosquito pools in the Tri-City area have tested positive for the West Nile virus, which has led to increased spraying in the area. But no human cases have yet been identified this season in Louisiana, and a Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals spokesman says mosquito pool positive results are common.
Glenn Stokes, owner of Mosquito Control Contractors in New Iberia, said a mosquito pool in Bayou Vista tested positive Friday for the West Nile virus, and two other pools in Bayou Vista also tested positive for the virus the previous week. A mosquito pool in Four Corners tested positive for West Nile as well.
Stokes sprays in all the unincorporated areas of the parish.
Additionally, Patterson Mayor Rodney Grogan was notified Aug. 7 of a positive mosquito result in Patterson, he said.
A mosquito pool is a collection of mosquitoes placed in a vial and sent to the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine to test for a live virus, Stokes said.
After the positive pool tests, Stokes’ company immediately reacted and started additional spraying in the Bayou Vista area looking for mosquito breeding sites and treating them.
Stokes said if the mosquitoes that tested positive for the virus had bitten a human, that person would’ve gotten West Nile.
Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Spokesman John Ford confirmed four mosquito pools have tested positive for West Nile in St. Mary Parish, but didn’t specify where in the parish the positive tests occurred.
Ford said it’s “pretty common” for mosquito pools to test positive for West Nile and stressed that positive pool tests don’t qualify as cases of the virus. A positive test result would only count as a case if testers found West Nile in a horse or human, he said.
The mosquito pool tests are how DHH officials determine a general area of where to spray. However, a mosquito that tests positive for West Nile is likely to quickly move to other areas, Ford said.
Ford emphasized the importance of taking precaution against West Nile anywhere in Louisiana regardless of where pools test positive.
“You don’t necessarily find a positive pool result in an area before a case happens there,” Ford said.
In 2014, as of mid-August, the DHH reported 532 positive mosquito pool results across the state, but only 20 cases of “near-invasive West Nile statewide,” Ford said.
Eighty percent of people who contract the West Nile virus don’t show any symptoms, Stokes said. About 20 percent have some fever, and one percent have their central nervous systems invaded, which is extremely serious.
Stokes encouraged people to take defensive action against mosquitoes by getting rid of standing water, avoiding going outside at dusk and dawn as much as possible, using repellent and wearing light-colored loose fitting clothing.
Five sentinel chickens recently tested positive for West Nile in Acadia Parish.
“West Nile virus is definitely with us in Louisiana. There’s no doubt about it,” Stokes said.
No human cases have been reported yet this year in Louisiana, though there have been cases in Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas. It takes 10 to 14 days for a human case to result in clinical symptoms, Stokes said.
An uptick in mosquito activity starts in August and goes through the end of October. West Nile can be transmitted any time of year, but it’s extremely rare outside of that three-month time period, he said.
The DHH also offers the following West Nile prevention tips.

Protecting
yourself
—If you will be outside, you should wear a mosquito repellent containing DEET. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that repellents should contain no more than 30 percent DEET when used on children. Insect repellents also are not recommended for children younger than two months. CDC recommends that you always follow the recommendations appearing on the product label when using repellent.
—Apply repellent on exposed skin and clothing. Do not apply under your clothes or on broken skin.
—To apply repellent to your face, spray on your hands and then rub on your face.
—Adults should always apply repellent to children.
—Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants when outdoors for long periods of time.
—Avoid perfumes and colognes when outdoors for extended periods of time.
—Make sure that your house has tight-fitting windows and doors, and that all screens are free of holes.

Protecting
your home
—Reduce the mosquito population by eliminating standing water around your home, which is where mosquitoes breed.
—Dispose of tin cans, ceramic pots and other unnecessary containers that have accumulated on your property. Turn over wheelbarrows, plastic wading pools, buckets, trash cans, children’s toys or anything that could collect water.
—Drill holes in the bottom of outdoor recycling containers. Drainage holes that are located on the container sides collect enough water for mosquitoes to breed.
—Check and clean roof gutters routinely. They are often overlooked, but can produce millions of mosquitoes each season.
—Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish. Water gardens can become major mosquito producers if they are allowed to stagnate.
—Clean and chlorinate swimming pools that are not being used.

This story was written by Zachary Fitzgerald of The Daily Review staff. Reach him at zfitzgerald@daily-review.com