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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 8492 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS NO. 8492 May 6, 2003 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Page 1 of 2 ..a.. xg9a SUBJECT: MOSQUITO MONITORING, SURVEILLANCE AND EDUCATION PROGRAM In anticipation of the mosquito season, the City of Fort Worth is prepared to detect and respond to the presence of West Nile Virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses through an expanded mosquito sampling and surveillance program, an interdepartmental preparedness and response team and coordinated citizen education. Sampling and Surveillance The Tarrant County Public Health Department (TCPHD) has primary responsibility for public health surveillance and has obtained a grant from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) to expand the collection and testing of mosquito samples in 28 cities within Tarrant County. Five surveillance sites will be within the City of Fort Worth. In addition, the Tarrant County Public Health laboratory has been upgraded to test samples locally rather than having to send them to Austin. This will reduce the time to receive results from two weeks to two or three days. The City of Fort Worth Public Health Department (CFWPHD) has a written agreement with TCPHD for the training and supervision of two larvicide and adulticide applicators. These two staff plus two other CFWPHD staff will be trained and licensed, independently, with the costs supported by a CDC grant. Interdepartmental Preparedness and Response Team The CFWPHD Director chairs a committee with representatives from Environmental Management, Transportation/Public Works, Parks and Community Services, Code Compliance, Action Center, Water Department and TCPHD as well as CFWPHD. This committee has reviewed the strategies necessary to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes and has devised plans to eliminate as many sources as possible. The committee has also developed a plan for a coordinated response to blitz any neighborhoods where positive West Nile Virus samples are located. Citizen Education The CFWPHD has been the call center for mosquito complaints for several years. We have now provided training to the call centers at the Action Center and Code Compliance to assure that citizens' complaints are handled in a consistent and streamlined manner. Citizens have been informed in the City Times (April water bill) and the City Page how they can reduce the sources of mosquito breeding in their homes and provide their families with personal protection against mosquito bites. The "Menacing Mosquitoes" brochure has been updated and is available in both Spanish and English. Over 10,000 copies have been distributed through the Library, Parks and Community Services, Code Compliance, Environmental Management, Water Department, neighborhood associations and through our outreach program. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 8492 May 6, 2003 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council .. Page 2 of 2 w SUBJECT: MOSQUITO MONITORING, SURVEILLANCE AND EDUCATION PROGRAM To Spray or Not to Spray? The Fort Worth mosquito monitoring, surveillance and education program stresses source reduction and personal protection. The distribution of environmentally-friendly larvicide will be used in locations where mosquito larvae is reported. However, spraying pesticide for adult mosquitoes will not be used unless the surveillance program finds the West Nile Virus present in sufficient quantity to be a threat to human health. Spraying for mosquitoes will temporarily reduce the number of adult mosquitoes in the immediate vicinity. However, similar to some medications, the toxins used in spraying have side effects that generally outweigh the limited positive impact. First, spraying will not rid the city of mosquitoes. The chemical must make direct contact with the insect to kill it, making it difficult to destroy mosquitoes hiding in grass, bushes, trees, or backyards. Moreover, the chemicals have no residual effects and do nothing to kill the mosquito larvae thriving in stagnant water. Secondly, spraying for mosquitoes may give residents a false sense of security. The risk of someone being infected with West Nile Virus might then increase if fewer people decide not to use insect repellant before working or playing outdoors. Thirdly, adding harmful chemicals to the environment can have unwanted secondary effects. The City has four lakes which have fishing bans or restrictions tied to pesticides. Finally, thousands of Fort Worth residents diving with respiratory problems such as asthma would be in danger of an onset triggered by the pesticides. The potential hazard to the general population must be weighed against the limited benefits of pesticide application. Conclusion By taking responsibility for reducing their exposure to mosquito bites, residents can go much farther in preventing a human case of West Nile Virus than can the city by spraying. Source reduction (eliminating standing water where mosquitoes breed and grow), personal protection (protective clothing, insect repellant, and limiting exposure to insects during dusk and dawn), and larvicide use (reducing mosquito larvae before they hatch) are the most effective response to the threat of West Nile Virus. Nevertheless, CFWPHD and TCPHD will continue their surveillance and education programs to monitor the status of mosquito-borne illnesses and respond accordingly. W. Ja on City Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS