[ad_1]
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
PHOTO FILE: US DOD
On Wednesday evening, the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the Rhode Island Health Department (RIDOH) announced Thursday that the state would proceed with a "larviciding treatment" application in three localities .
The sites are Chapman Swamp in the western part of the city, where two mosquito detections of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and one horse transmission took place; the south arm of the Pawtuxet River, west of Warwick, near the first human case of EEE in the state; and the Valley Marsh area surrounded by Lincoln, Cumberland and Central Falls, the city where the state's first two EEE detections were announced on Aug. 15.
Thursday flights depend on weather conditions, which must be calm.
As announced on August 30 and September 3, the latest discoveries of mosquito disease trapping reaffirm the need for increased pesticide use, and the state has made all the necessary arrangements to conduct campaigns aimed at eliminate adult and larval mosquitoes. The term "larvicidal treatment" refers to the application of a product that kills mosquito larvae before they become adults. The aerial application to be performed tomorrow concerns all mosquito species and reduces the risk of infections caused by EEE and West Nile virus (WNV).
According to official representatives, the product used in the applications called Bti, a natural bacterium that comes in granular form. The EPA has concluded, through various studies, that Bti poses no risk to humans. The Bti bags will be loaded into a helicopter, which will accurately disperse pellets / pellets into swamps and other breeding habitats to control mosquito breeding. Bti produces toxins that specifically affect mosquito larvae, black flies and midges. These toxins do not affect other types of insects, including bees. It is approved for pest control on organic farms.
EEE detected in several communities
Since the last trapping on 26 August, DEM has added traps to West Warwick; Burrillville, North Smithfield and Cumberland, which border several communities in Worcester County that Massachusetts public health officials have identified as high-risk areas; and West Greenwich, near the border with southeastern Connecticut, where many EEE detections have occurred in mosquitoes and two cases of EEE virus infection have been reported in horses. With the contribution of RIDOH's public health experts and Rhode Island University entomologists, DEM now places nearly 40 mosquito traps in 23 communities across the state. DEM places the traps strategically based on knowledge of the environmental conditions conducive to the amplification of EEE and WNV in the mosquito population.
The state will issue a spraying program and additional information before proceeding with "adult" flights. "Adult Therapy" is a method of controlling adult mosquitoes to control an outbreak of mosquito-borne disease. It is often applied by air through sprayers, which distribute very fine droplets of aerosol that stay in the air and kill flying mosquitoes on contact.
The previous recommendations of RIDOH remain in force and concern the prevention of IAS and WNV. On Monday of last week, RIDOH recommended that schools and municipal leaders reprogram games, practices and other outdoor activities planned in the early morning or at dusk or earlier in the afternoon or to transfer them. in a covered site. "Smart planning" events are designed to help reduce the risk of mosquito bites for players, coaches and spectators. RIDOH recommends that smart planning remain in effect for the rest of the mosquito season, which usually ends in mid-October (after the first hard frost).
For more information on DEM divisions and programs, visit www.dem.ri.gov. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM or on Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM) for timely updates.
Visit http://www.health.ri.gov/mosquito for additional tips on mosquito prevention, videos and local data. For more information on DEM divisions and programs, visit www.dem.ri.gov. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandDEM or Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM) for timely updates.
Related Articles
Enjoy this post? Share it with others.
[ad_2]
Source link