West Nile News for Delaware County

As West Nile Virus becomes more of a concern nationally, Delaware County, PA is taking action. The Delaware County Department of Intercommunity Health Coordination has very recently obtained a grant from the PA Department of Environmental Protection to fund the study mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus in the area. The Penn State Cooperative Extension will be executing the plan to study and treat the West Nile issue by placing different mosquito traps around the County.

The traps contain mosquitoes that can then be analyzed to determine the actual risk of West Nile right in our backyards. As residents, we can watch for strange containers popping up on or raised a few feet off of the ground in wooded or foliage covered areas.

The traps have clear identification labels on them, so leave them to the experts. As locals dealing with this issue, we can cope and maintain by eliminating standing water around our own homes. Look in the places you don't usually think of for breeding grounds. Make sure the kiddie pool gets dumped after a rainstorm, fill in the giant puddles under your deck, and check that your rain gutters are clear. Even a soda bottle left out with just a little bit of water at the bottom is enough to breed the next generation of biters.

We can hope that other counties stand to the plate and seek funding for and encourage this type of research in their areas. It's about time we all understand what a serious risk West Nile Virus has become.