West Nile Virus Control Spraying In Phoenixville Rescheduled

Mosquito spraying has been rescheduled for Phoenixville and Schuylkill Township to control the spread of West Nile Virus, the Chester County Health Department announced on Tuesday.

The treatment which was originally scheduled for July 9 and was cancelled due to weather has been rescheduled for Thursday, July 16, health officials said.

Spraying will take place from 8:45 p.m. until midnight that evening.

The treated area runs from Pickering Creek and roughly along 2nd Avenue, bounded by Whitehorse Road and Anderson Avenue.

“All residents in areas where virus activity has been identified are at risk of getting West Nile encephalitis,” health officials said.

The treatment will be administered with truck-mounted spray equipment, officials said.

The materials have a low toxicity level for mammals and are safe for the environment, according to officials, so long as they do not exceed

There have been two confirmed samples of West Nile Virus in Chester County in 2015, and both of them have been in Phoenixville.

Both mosquitos were found in “mosquito pools” at an unspecified location in Phoenixville.

Traps are placed by Chester County’s Department of Environmental Protection across several towns as part of routine surveillance measures.

The chemcial that will be sprayed is Permanone RTU, a permethrin insecticide product, officials said, and it will be dispensed at a rate of 1.5 ounces per acre.

Chester County health officials have issued an alert, advising residents to take precautions, including:

• Stay indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitos are most active
• Wear long sleeve shirts and long pants when outside
• Use insect repellents when mosquitoes are active
• Dispose of open containers that may collect water, such as tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots, etc.
• Drill holes in the bottom of outdoor recycling containers so that water will not collect
• Keep your property clear of old tires
• Clean roof gutters, particularly if leaves from surrounding trees have a tendency to plug drains
• Turn over plastic wading pools when not in use
• Turn over wheelbarrows and don’t let water stagnate in birdbaths
• Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools when not in use
• A swimming pool left untended by a family on vacation for a month can produce enough mosquitoes to result in neighborhood-wide complaints. Mosquitoes may even breed in the water that collects on pool covers
• For stagnant pools of water that cannot be removed or drained, homeowners can buy Bti products such as mosquito dunks at lawn/garden, outdoor supply, home improvement and other stores. This naturally occurring bacterial product kills mosquito larvae but is safe for people, pets, aquatic life and plants.

Officials say this “heightened” concern will likely remain in effect until the first frost in mid-October.

The chances of contracting West Nile Virus are very small and chances of becoming ill are even smaller. However, about 20% of infected individuals may experience flu-like symptoms that could include fever and a rash, according to Mayo Clinic.

In less than one percent of infected victims, West Nile causes a severe neurological infection which may cause confusion, convulsions, tremors, inflammation of the spinal cord, and coma, Mayo Clinic states.

Image and map courtesy Chester County Health Department.