ADA COUNTY, Idaho — The Ada County Mosquito Abatement District has confirmed the presence of West Nile Virus in mosquito populations for the first time in 2020.
In a press release, the Ada County Mosquito Abatement District confirmed this through a pool of trapped mosquitoes near N. Five Mile Road and W. Edna Street.
These detections have prompted truck-mounted mosquito abatement treatments in those aforementioned detection areas to prevent human cases of West Nile Virus. The abatement district will continue to monitor and treat mosquito populations in those areas, as well as throughout the abatement district's boundaries to control mosquito populations to prevent the spread of West Nile Virus to humans and livestock.
The Ada County Mosquito Abatement District says citizens of Ada County and Idaho can help prevent the spread of West Nile Virus through these ways:
- Drain or dump standing water weekly. For example, dump standing water from flowerpots, planter bases, bird baths, toys, cans, rain gutters, pet dishes, buckets, and old tires.
- Ensure that screen doors and windows are tight-fitting and good condition.
- Avoid overwatering your lawn and landscape.
- Limit outdoor activities during dusk and dawn to prevent mosquito bites. Those are the times when the mosquitoes that transmit West Nile Virus are most active.
- Dress in long-sleeve shirts and long pants, preferably in light colors when recreating outdoors during dawn and dusk.
- Apply insect repellent following label instructions.
For more information on West Nile Virus in Ada County, click here. To see where West Nile Virus has been found in Ada County from 2019 - 2020, click on the previous link and click on the mosquito tracker button.
To report a mosquito issue, you can call 208-577-4646 or email the Ada County Mosquito Abatement District at weedandpest@adaweb.net.
