West Nile Virus Program Technician J. Roy Houston Conservation Center Chelsea Gross West Nile Virus Program Technician J. Roy Houston Conservation Center July 26th, 2017

Make Your Backyard Less Inviting For Mosquitoes

Mosquito Life Cycle Egg Larva 4 Instars Pupa Adult Drawing by Brett Crans of Rutgers University

Mosquito Diet Mosquitoes use their proboscis to feed Females feed on blood and nectar Females lay their eggs after a blood meal Males feed ONLY on nectar Female Male

West Nile Virus History West Nile Virus (WNV) was isolated in 1937 in the West Nile District of Uganda WNV was first found in the United States in 1999 in New York City, New York In 2000, WNV was found in Pennsylvania In 2002, WNV was found in Westmoreland County By 2002, WNV was found across the entire United States

In 2002 there were 60 human cases of WNV, in 2016 16 human cases.

A mosquito feeds on a bird infected with WNV The mosquito feeds on another host (bird, human, horse, mammal) and transmits WNV The bitten host becomes infected with WNV Birds infected with WNV continue to infect new mosquitos that feed on them Humans and horses are dead-end hosts, meaning they cannot transmit WNV

West Nile Virus Transmission Amplifier Vectors: Culex pipiens (Northern House Mosquito) Culex restuans https://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mosquito/videos/how-mosquitoes-spread-viruses

West Nile Virus Symptoms Most people infected do not develop symptoms (70-80%) Mild symptoms are flu- like Fever Headaches Body aches Rash Joint pains Vomiting Diarrhea Less than 1% develop severe symptoms Encephalitis Meningitis Coma Seizures Disorientation Tremors Neck Stiffness

Zika Virus History Zika Virus was found in 1947 in the Zika forest of Uganda In 2016, the first local transmission of Zika Virus was found in the United States in Florida and Texas There have been NO local cases of Zika Virus in Pennsylvania All Zika cases in PA have been travel related

A mosquito bites a host (human) infected with Zika Virus The mosquito becomes infected with Zika Virus The mosquito bites another host and can transmit Zika virus Different from WNV in that humans can transmit Zika virus to mosquitoes

Zika Virus Transmission Amplifier vectors: http://invasionesbiologicas.blogspot.com/2015_10_01_archive.html

Zika Virus Transmission One specimen of Aedes aegypti was collected in Pennsylvania in 2002 It is believed to be a possible misidentification Aedes albopictus is commonly collected in urban centers across PA

Zika Virus Symptoms Most people infected will not have symptoms Mild symptoms include: Fever Headache Rash Red eyes Joint and muscle pain Zika Virus in pregnant women causes microcephaly The brain does not develop during pregnancy or after birth Babies are born with smaller heads than expected

Surveillance in Westmoreland County Adult and larval mosquito monitoring April through October Mosquitos collected in gravid or BG sentinel traps are sent to the DEP lab

Surveillance in Westmoreland County Aedes albopictus, Asian Tiger mosquitoes, are collected in BG sentinel traps to determine the state localization Culex sp. are tested for West Nile Virus

Surveillance in Westmoreland County Larval control When larvae or pupae are detected source reduction or pesticides are used Dead birds that appear to be suspicious are asked to be reported Corvids: crows and bluejays Raptors: hawks, owls, eagles, and falcons Human and horse cases of WNV are reported by veterinarians and physicians

Make Your Backyard Less Inviting for Mosquitoes Reduce standing water!!!

Outdoor Containers Empty buckets and keep them flipped over Put toys away that could fill with water Dump out water in overflowing flowerpots Keep wheelbarrows flipped upright Turn over plastic wading pools Drill holes in recycling bins Keep boats covered when not in use

Birdbaths Change water in birdbaths weekly Use mosquito dunks to treat mosquito larvae

Roof Gutters Clean roof gutters every year Leaves can clog gutters allowing them to hold water Gutters can produce millions of mosquitoes each year

Tires Old tires can produce millions of mosquitoes Remove sidewalls, drill holes, or keep rims on Treat tires with larvicides: Bti College of Agricultural Sciences Agricultural Research and Cooperative Extension

Ornamental Ponds Aerate ornamental ponds to eliminate stagnant water Fill ornamental ponds with predators such as fish or frogs

Puddles/Ruts Alter the landscape to eliminate standing water Fill in ruts on the property Do not drive on wet soil

Unattended Pools/Pool Covers Maintain, chlorinate, and clean swimming pools Run filter in swimming pools Raise pool covers to keep them from collecting water

Rain Barrels Rain barrels should be covered with wire mesh or a lid to keep mosquitoes from laying their eggs

Window Wells Keep widow wells covered

Treat Stagnant Water Anyone can purchase larval control products at local home stores Mosquito Bits Mosquito Dunks The active ingredient is Bacilius thuringiensis israelensis (BTI) A bacteria that specifically targets the gut of the mosquito

Protection Against Mosquito Bites Wear long sleeves and pants during peak mosquito activity times (dusk and dawn) Use repellents according to the label DEET No more than 10% DEET for children Picardin IR3535 Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus NOT labeled for use on children Keep screens on windows and doors

More Information Pennsylvania’s West Nile Virus Control Program http://www.westnile.state.pa.us/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/index.html U.S. Department of Agriculture https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth U.S. Geological Survey https://www.usgs.gov/ Pesticide Education Program- Penn State University http://extension.psu.edu/pests/pesticide-education Environmental Protection Agency https://www.epa.gov/pesticides National Pesticide Information Center http://npic.orst.edu/pest/mosquito/wnv.html PA Vector Control Association http://pavectorcontrol.org/?page_id=26

West Nile Virus Program Technician Chelsea Gross West Nile Virus Program Technician P: 724-837-5271 ext. 116 chelseag@wcdpa.com www.wcdpa.com

Questions?