La Salle County Health Department to offer mosquito larvicide in response to West Nile activity

The La Salle County Health Department utilized grant funding to purchase Natular DT, a mosquito larvicide that controls larvae of mosquitoes for up to 60 days, in response to an increase in West Nile virus activity this summer.

Manufactured by Clarke, Natular DT is an easy-to-use, bi-layer tablet that prevents mosquito breeding in standing water sites around yards, the health department said in a Wednesday news release. The Health department encourages anyone who needs larvicide for their property to stop by the health department 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m. at 717 Etna Road, Ottawa, to pick up a package of Natular DT. Each package contains 12 tablets.

At this time, supplies are limited to one per household, the health department said. According to Clarke, Natular DT tablets can be applied in many spots around a yard or property that hold water but cannot be easily tipped out. Common mosquito breeding sites around a property, especially for disease-carrying mosquitoes, only require small amounts of water to breed. The tablets can be used to treat the following: boat covers, floor drains, flower pot trays, ornamental ponds and water gardens, old and abandoned tires, rain barrels, roof top gutters and standing water.

“La Salle County has been experiencing the type of weather conditions that increases West Nile virus activity,” said Jennie Osborn, director of Environmental Health. “Dry, hot weather tends to accelerate the transmission of the virus during the summer and fall months. The best way to protect yourself against illness is to wear insect repellent and to get rid of any stagnant water around your home to reduce the number of mosquitoes.”

Additionally, the La Salle County Health Department received confirmation mosquitoes from Peru tested positive for West Nile virus. The mosquitoes were collected Aug. 9 and Environmental Health staff conducted the confirmatory test on the mosquitoes at the health department. To date in La Salle County, mosquitoes have tested positive June 2 for West Nile in Marseilles, two batches of mosquitoes tested positive June 27 and one Aug. 3 in La Salle; mosquitoes tested positive July 12 in Utica and mosquitoes tested positive July 21 in Ottawa. A dead crow tested positive for West Nile on July 25 in La Salle.

West Nile is transmitted through the bite of a house mosquito, which has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. Common symptoms include fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches. Symptoms may last from a few days to a few weeks.

Four out of five people with the West Nile virus will not show any symptoms. In rare cases, severe illness including meningitis and encephalitis or even death can occur. People older than 60 and individuals with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk for severe illness from West Nile virus.

Monitoring for West Nile virus includes laboratory tests for mosquito batches, dead crows, blue jays and robins, as well as testing humans with West Nile virus-like symptoms. People who observe a sick or dying crow, blue jay or robin should contact the health department, which will determine if the bird will be picked up for testing.

Precautions include practicing the three R’s – reduce, repel and report.

Residents should make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens and repair screens that have tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut. Eliminate, or refresh each week, all sources of standing water where mosquitos can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, pet bowls, clogged rain gutters, wading pools, old tires and any other containers.

Residents should wear shoes and socks, long pants and light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and apply an Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellant that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR 3535 when outdoors. Consult a physician before using repellants on infants.

Residents also should report locations where there’s sitting stagnant water for more than a week, such as roadside ditches, flooded yards, old tires, stagnant pools and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes. The local health department or city government may be able to add larvicide to the water, which will kill any mosquito larvae.

Go to www.lasallecountyil.gov for more information on the West Nile virus in La Salle County.