Blight increases mosquitoes in Baton Rouge neighborhoods



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LSU researchers recently published results confirming that the blight, a constant topic of discussion among East Baton Rouge parish leaders, is leading to an increase in the abundance of disease-carrying mosquitoes.

The researchers investigated the presence of several species of mosquitoes in two adjacent but socio-economically contrasting neighborhoods of Baton Rouge: the historic Garden District, a high-income neighborhood, and the Old South neighborhood, a low-income area. . They found a significantly higher adult and larval abundance of the Asian tiger mosquito (a carrier of Zika and dengue fever) and greater availability of mosquito habitat – especially discarded tires – in the Old South.

“These two neighborhoods are very similar in terms of vegetation cover, human population and household density. One of the main differences is the burn. One neighborhood has a lot of plagues in the form of abandoned residences, empty lots and mismanaged waste, and the other does not. That was all the perfect conditions to answer this question, ”says Rebeca de Jesus Crespo, senior author and assistant professor at LSU College of Coast and Environment, in an LSU Press release.

The researchers’ findings further support Baton Rouge’s efforts to reduce the burn. As she entered her second term earlier this year, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome announced two new initiatives targeting crime, burn and waste in Baton Rouge. Elements of its initiatives include better enforcement through law enforcement of existing waste laws and the dedication of three units with the Ministry of Public Works to clean up city streets and monitor and measure the effectiveness of these. efforts on an ongoing basis.

See LSU’s research announcement here, as well as more reports from Activity Report and Daily report here on burn reduction efforts in the city.



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