Health Concerns Related to Mosquito Breeding and Bites are the Subject of Special City Council Committee Meeting Thursday, June 30
State mosquito control officials and the City’s Licenses and Inspections Department (L&I) will appear before a joint Wilmington City Council committee meeting next week for a televised presentation to citizens about ways to prevent mosquito-borne health problems this summer. Increasing concerns about the spread of the Zika and West Nile viruses have made the issue of mosquito control and prevention even more important this year according to two City council members.
Hanifa Shabazz (D-4th District) chairs the Council’s Public Works Committee and Bob Williams (D-7th District) chairs the Council’s Health, Aging and Disabilities Committee. They are combining their committees next Thursday, June 30 at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers for a public presentation on the dangers posed by mosquito bites and what citizens can and should do to prevent health problems. Citizens are invited to attend the meeting or view it live and on replay via WITN, Channel 22, the City Council’s government television station, or online at WITN22.org.
The June 30 meeting will focus on the dangers posed by mosquito bites, the use of sprays and lotions to repel bites and details about ground and aerial insecticide spraying that will be needed this summer to stop mosquitos from breeding. Thomas Moran, Program Manager and Dr. William Meredith, Environmental Program Administrator of the State Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Mosquito Control Section, will make presentations next Thursday evening.Wilmington’s Deputy L&I Commissioner Leo Lynch will also appear to remind citizens of their duty to prevent the build-up of standing water on their properties which is a common area for mosquitos to breed.
“The Mosquito Control program’s primary concern in Delaware for possible local Zika transmissions comes from the Asian tiger mosquito, an abundant and aggressive daytime biter, which primarily occurs in urban or suburban settings such as residential backyards and business or industrial properties,” said Dr. Meredith. “Their immature aquatic stages can be found in a wide range of man-made containers and other water-holding structures exposed to rainfall, typically close by where people live, work or recreate. For most effective control of Asian tigers, we urge the public to practice good water sanitation on their properties by preventing or eliminating any unneeded standing water that might persist for four or more consecutive days.”
According to the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, you can reduce the risk of mosquito bites by using Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered insect repellents; by staying in places with air conditioning or that use window or door screens to keep mosquitoes outside; by sleeping under a mosquito bed net if you are outside and not able to protect yourself from mosquitoes; treating clothing and gear with permethrin available in pharmacies or by purchasing permethrin-treated items; and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
Governor Jack Markell declared May 23 as Zika Awareness Day to remind people that preventing mosquito bites is the best protection against Zika and other mosquito-borne illnesses. The State offers more information on Zika prevention and testing, as well as travel advisories, flyers and brochures at http://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/zika.html.
For more information about this news release, contact:
John Rago
Communications and Policy Development Director
Wilmington City Council
Phone: (302) 576-2149
Mobile: (302) 420-7928
Email: jrago@WilmingtonDE.gov