Burlington
County has experienced more rain than usual this summer. The rain and standing
water has resulted in an increase in mosquito populations and could lead to
more mosquito-borne illnesses. Testing in Burlington County has revealed the
presence of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus, West Nile Virus and Jamestown
Canyon Virus in mosquitoes. At this time, there are no known cases of
mosquito-borne illnesses in Burlington County residents.
“Mosquito-borne
illnesses, such as West Nile Virus Disease and Eastern Equine Encephalitis, can
affect everyone but are of particular concern for the young, elderly and
pregnant women,” said Burlington County Health Department Director Dr. Herb
Conaway. “Preventing mosquito bites is key to reducing your risk.”
Mosquitoes
prefer to lay eggs in water that collects or is stored in manmade containers.
One of the things that residents can do to reduce the number of mosquitoes
outside the home is to frequently (once per week) empty free-standing water
from flower pots, pool covers, pet dishes, bird baths, etc.
“The Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention recommends preventing mosquitoes from laying
eggs in or near water by promptly scrubbing, turning over, covering, or
throwing out any items that hold water,” stated Tom Verna, Mosquito Control.
The Burlington
County Health Department and Burlington County Mosquito Control are urging
residents to be more diligent in preventing mosquito bites by using the 4 D’s
technique:
- DRAIN standing water routinely.
- Use an insect repellant with DEET.
- Be especially careful at DUSK & DAWN.
- DRESS in long sleeves and pants where mosquitoes are active.
For more
information about mosquito bite prevention, go to the New Jersey Department of
Health’s “Fight the Bite, NJ!” webpage at https://nj.gov/health/cd/topics/vectorborne.shtml.
To file a
mosquito control complaint, please complete a complaint form at https://burlingtoncountynj.formstack.com/forms/mosquito_control_complaint_form_1.