To combat the spread of West Nile Virus, the City of Arlington has announced plans to conduct targeted ground spraying following the discovery of infected mosquitoes. According to a report by the City of Arlington, two mosquito trap samples have tested positive for the virus, prompting action to reduce the adult mosquito population in affected areas.
The spraying operation is set to occur within a half-mile radius of Helen Drive and Hadley Drive, the location of one of the positive mosquito traps. The decision to specifically target this area follows new guidance from Tarrant County Public Health (TCPH), which has established a threshold for when to commence spraying. The ground spraying was scheduled to occur between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. on July 15 and July 16, aiming to quickly decrease the infected mosquito numbers.
Meanwhile, the second positive mosquito trap was found near Park Hill Drive and Mossy Oak Street, but did not meet the threshold for immediate spraying. During the mosquito season from May to October, the City of Arlington proactively sets traps to monitor for West Nile and St. Louis Encephalitis Viruses, and employs a water-based permethrin product in its spraying regimen.
Mosquito traps testing positive for three consecutive weeks will prompt the City's contractor to spray within a half-mile radius of the trap site over two consecutive nights. Arlington, however, may choose to also conduct targeted ground spraying after only one or two weeks of positive test results when other risk factors are significantly present. These include high mosquito abundance, proximity to human West Nile Virus cases, planned outdoor events near a positive trap, and a high infection rate in a collected mosquito sample.
