Mosquito Awareness Week

Mosquito Awareness Week Proclaimed Today in Fairfax County
- New 18-Month Mosquito Calendar Available from Health Department -

June 20, 2005

Today, Health Department staff have accepted a proclamation by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors naming the week of June 26 to July 2 as Mosquito Awareness Week. The week is sponsored by the American Mosquito Control Association and the Virginia Mosquito Control Association, and is being supported by the Governor of Virginia and the Metropolitan-Washington Council of Governments.

In addition, a new 18-month educational calendar is available from the Health Department that contains extensive information on West Nile virus (WNV) prevention and mosquito management.

The fun, colorful "Don't Be Mosquito Meat" calendar enhances the Health Department's aggressive WNV and mosquito management public education campaign, "Fight the Bite: Say NO to MOsquitoes." Also included in the campaign are educational materials published in five languages - English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese - which can be downloaded from the program's Web site.

While Mosquito Awareness Week starts next week, the Health Department's multi-faceted 2005 program against WNV is in full swing. Prevention measures include treating mosquito breeding sites with an environmentally friendly larvicide; tracking and surveillance of WNV in mosquito and bird populations; and educating residents about the disease, how to manage mosquitoes and protect themselves from bites using approved insect repellents.

In addition, residents are being asked to report dead birds to the Health Department to help with the county's ongoing surveillance and tracking of WNV. Infected mosquitoes are known to spread the virus to wild birds, other animals, and sometimes humans during mosquito season, which typically runs from May until October. If anyone finds a dead bird near their home or business, they can call the agency's dead bird reporting line at 703-246-2300, TTY 703-591-6435, web form submission or an e-mail.

Humans contract WNV most often from the bite of an infected mosquito; but most people bitten by infected mosquitoes do not get sick. Those who do get sick from WNV usually suffer a mild flu-like illness and recover without treatment. However, in a few people, most often older than 50, WNV can cause serious illness such as encephalitis or meningitis. Only supportive treatment is available for this serious form of the disease.

Since the first appearance of West Nile virus in 2002 in Fairfax County, there have been 17 human cases reported with two deaths.