The Shelby County Health Department is intensifying its mosquito control activities starting next week as part of measures to combat the West Nile Virus (WNV), which has surfaced in the majority of the county’s ZIP Codes and has manifested in eight human cases so far this year. In a bid to check the mosquito population carrying the contagious virus, the department will deploy truck-mounted spraying in several targeted areas, with particular attention to neighborhoods where WNV has been confirmed, as detailed in a recent schedule posted on the Shelby County Health Department’s website.
Concerns about WNV are substantiated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which highlights that individuals over 60 are especially susceptible to severe illnesses from the virus, although it’s often symptomless and unnoticed in most cases; and the upcoming spray times are scheduled starting September 15 from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. in ZIP Codes 38017, 38125, and 38139, with subsequent schedules covering an extensive list of affected areas through the week. The objective of these initiatives is to minimize the risk of transmission, necessitating residents to take individual precautions as well, including using DEET-based insect repellants.
Strategically, the Health Department is not only focusing on evening hours but is also conducting early morning sessions, for instance, on September 16, crews will operate from 3:45 a.m. to 6:45 a.m. in a swath of ZIP Codes which include 38104, 38111, and 38112, among others, the department also urges residents with chronic health issues like asthma to stay indoors during spray times to avoid any potential aggravation due to the insecticides. Residents can exempt their properties from the spray by reaching out directly to the department…