While April showers bring May flowers that same rain brings a not so welcome spring time guest’mosquitoes and the battle against the West Nile disease.
To assist in this battle, several area schools and municipalities are supplying residents with a host of informational material to help prevent the disease.
‘Some groups of people have a greater risk than others,? said Jim Helmstetter, director of Environmental Health Services for Genesee County.
‘Last year we focused on if the West Nile disease was for real by gathering dead birds and other information. This year we’ll focus totally on education and prevention.?
School aged children who often ewar short sleeve shirts or short pants and play outside especially in the evening when mosquitoes are most active remain a target for health officials, added Helmstetter.
In Oakland County’s Brandon School District each building administrator was provided information from the Oakland County Health Department to inform the 3,700 students about West Nile prevention.
‘We received information to send home with students titled, ‘Mosquito Smarts,? it touches on a variety of issues regarding West Nile,? said Bart Jenniches, Brandon School Superintent.
‘Some of the playground equipment may hold areas where mosquitos breed we’ll be reviewing all the grounds for potential problems.?
Earlier this year Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson pledged $500,000 toward assisting communities fight the mosquitoes that may carry the disease. The all out battle included educational material distributed to schools and communities based on geographic area and population. Municipalities can use the funding for public education, reducing mosquito breeding sites, or focus on spraying if necessary.
Oakland County health officials reported that 20 deaths and 184 cases of West Nile were reported in 2002, the highest in the state. The northern, more rural areas of Oakland County including, Brandon and Groveland townships, where not hit so hard by the disease as compared to other areas.
‘We were especially hit hard in the southeast sections of Oakland County,? said Suzanne Weinert, public health educator for Oakland County.
‘The hope is that the disease will just go away as have other mosquito carrying diseases have in the past.?
One major factor in spread of the disease and mosquito breeding is the recent lack of rain in the area, said Weinert. ‘During rainy times the water tends to move more thus reducing stagnation thus reducing breeding.?