Wichita County Health District Combats Mosquito Resurgence: Proactive Approach to West Nile Virus Prevention

The Wichita County Health District is taking measures to combat the resurgence of mosquitoes as temperatures rise and rain falls. With an increase in mosquitoes comes the potential risk of diseases such as West Nile Virus. In response, the Health District is implementing various strategies to prevent an outbreak.

One of these strategies 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 the Wichita County Health District, spray trucks are not as effective as they only target flying mosquitoes. Treating mosquitoes in water is more efficient and allows for better control of the mosquito population. The Health District is also working on updating their interactive spray map to provide residents with information on when their neighborhood will be sprayed.

Skinner stated that recent rainfall has been concentrated around Lake Wichita, leading them to focus their efforts on monitoring this area for signs of the virus. By being proactive and diligent in their approach, the Health District hopes to prevent any potential outbreaks of mosquito-borne illnesses.