Full Text
Park County Development Services P.O. Box 1598 Coordinator Fairplay,Co 80440 [PHONE REDACTED] * FAX [PHONE REDACTED] PRESS RELEASE 7/18/07 WEST NILE VIRUS West Nile is expected to hit Colorado again this year. The West Nile season is expected to last until late September and into early October. Spring cleaning, such as removing standing water in ponds, ditches, gutters and similar items where mosquitoes can breed is something people can do now. Later, stock ornamental ponds, fountains and livestock tanks with larvae eating fish or treat them with Bactimos Briquettes, a natural bacteria that kills mosquito larvae. This product is available for purchase at the Park County Environmental Health Department Office. It is important that Park County residents take personal protection seriously, particularly the recommendation to use insect repellent containing DEET on a regular basis. Use of repellents with DEET should become a habit for both adults and children throughout summer months. Some Personal Protection Tips: Avoid being outside at dawn or dusk when mosquitoes are most active. Repair or replace damaged screens. Repellants containing DEET are proven safe and effective. Use products containing 10 percent DEET or less for children. Match your time spent outside with the percent of DEET in your repellent. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants while outdoors. Clothing can be sprayed with repellant containing DEET or permethrin. This will last up to four washes or two weeks on clothing. Always follow the products directions. Pak County Environmental Health Department's 2008 West Nile Virus Surveillance Plan will start late July. From late July through early October we will be trapping mosquitoes for identification to monitor nuisance mosquito populations. Anyone who finds a dead bird (any member of the corvivd family) call the Colorado Health Emergency Line for the Public (CoHELP) at 1-[PHONE REDACTED]. The emergency line staff is available to respond to hotline calls from 7 am to 11 pm,Monday-Friday and from 9:30 am to 8 pm on Saturday & Sundays. We will be distributing wall cards with information and prevention of the West Nile Virus at local merchants and businesses. Contact the department for your wall card. For more extensive information on West Nile virus and mosquito prevention, visit the website at ---PAGE BREAK--- TICK BORN DISEASES Colorado tick fever is the most common illness associated with ticks. It is an acute viral illness characterized by flu like typically lasting 4-5 days. A 2-3 day relapse, then complete recovery and lifelong immunity follow recovery. There is no treatment or vaccine currently available. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is a serious and potentially life threatening disease. It is characterized by flu like followed by a development of a rash. Antibiotics are an effective treatment. Lime disease, while not fatal, can cause serious lifelong health problems. Fortunately, the tick that transmits this disease does not occur in Colorado. The isolated cases found here are thought to be from ticks arriving in wood products from eastern states. Thorough “tick checks” and prompt removal of imbedded ticks can prevent a person from becoming ill. The correct method of removing ticks is to gently pull with tweezers keeping the head and body intact. Do not use a hot match, Vaseline or kerosene. These popular folk methods may cause the tick to burrow further into the skin. Thoroughly wash the bite area and your hands after handling ticks. For the next week or so, monitor the site for a rash. Any should be reported to a physician. TICK BITE PREVENTION TIPS - Wear lightweight long sleeved shirts and long pants. - Spray clothing with insect repellent. - Apply insect repellent to exposed skin.