Increase in Mosquitos Due to Recent Flooding

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

9/11/18

We have seen an increase in mosquitos due to the recent flooding.  Some tips to protect yourself:

• Use effective mosquito repellent (bug sprays) approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and apply according to the label instructions.  There are many products available, but few are actually effective.
• For skin and clothing, use repellents with 20-30% DEET, or Picaridin, or IR3535.  These are safe for children two months of age and older and for pregnant and breastfeeding women.  Oil of lemon eucalyptus is also a safe, effective product, but not for children less than 3 years of age.
• Use Permethrin on clothing and camping equipment, but not on skin.
• Mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing, so spraying clothes with a repellent containing permethrin or DEET will give extra protection.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, socks, and shoes.
• Avoid being outside during times of high mosquito activity, specifically around dawn and dusk.
• Keep window screens repaired so that mosquitoes cannot enter your home.
• Dispose of discarded tires, cans, or plastic containers left outside that may contain standing water.
• Drain standing water from pool or hot tub covers.
• Turn over plastic wading pools and wheel barrows when not in use.
• Change the water in bird baths, pet dishes and wading pools every 3-4 days.
• Keep drains, ditches and culverts clean of trash and weeds so water will drain properly.
• Clean gutters to ensure they drain properly.

Some additional important information regarding repellents:

• Follow product directions.
• Do not spray on your face.
• Avoid eyes, mouth, wounds, irritated skin.
• Keep away from food.
• Do not spray on children’s hands.
• Have an adult apply repellents on children.
• Do not use combination products (sunscreen and repellents).
• Apply sunscreen first.  Then, apply repellent 15 minutes later.  Sunscreen needs to be applied more frequently.

Some mosquitoes can transmit disease such as West Nile Virus (WNV) although few mosquitoes actually carry the virus.  An estimated 80% of people infected by WNV never experience symptoms. Most of the remaining 20% will experience relatively mild illness, with symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pains, a skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, and photophobia. Less than one percent (approximately one of every 150 people) infected with WNV become seriously ill. Severe symptoms include a sudden onset of a high fever, neck stiffness, extreme muscle weakness, tremors, convulsions, or disorientation.  The Sauk County Health Department has not received any recent reports of the disease in humans in our area due to the flooding. 

Consult the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (www.dhs.wisconsin.gov) and the Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov) for additional information.