Wichita County Health District Fights Mosquito Resurgence with Proactive Measures: Monitoring for West Nile Virus and Other Mosquito-Borne Illnesses

As temperatures rise and rain falls, the Wichita County Health District is working tirelessly to combat the resurgence of mosquitoes. With the potential for diseases such as West Nile Virus, the Health District is taking various measures to prevent an outbreak.

One method they are using is setting up traps to catch female mosquitoes and test them for the virus. If any mosquitoes carrying the virus are found, the Health District will begin spraying the area to reduce the mosquito population. However, they prefer to target mosquitoes while they are still in the water as they are more concentrated and easier to control at that stage.

According to Andrew Skinner, Vector Control Coordinator for Wichita County Health District, spray trucks are not very effective as they only target flying mosquitoes. Treating mosquitoes in water is much more efficient and allows for better control of the mosquito population. The Health District also plans on updating their interactive spray map so that residents can have information on when their neighborhood will be sprayed.

Skinner mentioned that recent rainfall has been concentrated around Lake Wichita which led them to focus their efforts on monitoring this area for signs of West Nile Virus and other Mosquito-borne illnesses. By being proactive and diligent in their approach, Skinner hopes that they can prevent any potential outbreaks and keep residents safe from Mosquito-borne illnesses this summer season.