Logan County Department of Public Health: Mosquito-related disease prevention reminder

[August 21, 2019]  With warm weather upon us, mosquitoes are still active thus increasing the threat of mosquito-related diseases such as West Nile Virus.

The Logan County Department of Public Health would like to remind everyone to continue taking precautions to eliminate breeding areas around your home and to avoid mosquito bites. Precautions to prevent mosquitoes include:

• Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn. Use prevention methods whenever mosquitoes are present.

• When outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and apply insect repellent that includes DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to label instructions. Contact a physician before using repellents on infants.

• Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that might have tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut, especially at night.

• Eliminate all sources of standing water that can support mosquito breeding, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires and other receptacles. In Logan County, contact the Logan County Department of Public Health to report areas of stagnant water in roadside ditches, flooded yards and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes.

If you are bitten by a mosquito, there is no reason to be tested for WNV since illnesses related to mosquito bites are rare. However, if you develop symptoms such as high fever, confusion, muscle weakness or severe headaches, you should see your doctor.

The Health Department will continue to monitor for mosquito activity through October 15th. Monitoring includes the collection and submittal of dead birds to the Illinois State Laboratory for West Nile Virus testing. The Logan County Department of Public Health would appreciate your help. If you observe a dead or dying bird, please contact the Department to see if the bird is eligible for testing. Eligible birds must meet various conditions and can include crows, blue jays, robins and other perching birds which appear to have died of natural causes within the previous 24 hours.

If questions, you can contact the Logan County Department of Public Health at 217-735-2317. For further information regarding mosquito-related disease prevention, health tips and other health department services, you can log onto their website at WWW.LCDPH.ORG.

[Don Cavi, MS, LEHP
Public Health Administrator
Logan County Department of Public Health]