New Orleans residents can expect some aerial buzzing of a different kind tonight as city crews gear up to combat the little bloodsuckers we all love to hate: mosquitoes. In a mission to curb the local mosquito population and potentially deadly West Nile virus (WNV), which has been detected in both the East and West Bank mosquito populations, the City of New Orleans Mosquito, Termite and Rodent Control Board is taking to the streets—or rather, the skies—after dusk for some targeted spraying, according to the City of New Orleans.
Specific neighborhoods on the docket for tonight's adulticide mission, scheduled to take place between 8:45 p.m. and midnight, are Gentilly, New Orleans East, and Lakeview, as detailed on the City of New Orleans official website. While no human cases have made the news in Orleans Parish this year, there's still cause for concern seeing as our feathery friends and unchecked mosquito populations keep the virus alive and well—as is evident by the collection of infected insects in routine trapping, and it's not just the mosquitoes; bird populations are carriers too.
For those wondering about the specifics, we're talking about the Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito—public enemy number one when it comes to spreading West Nile. And if you're banking on whether you'd know you're sick, don't. Most human cases are asymptomatic, but those with symptoms are nothing to sneeze at, with headaches, body aches, joint pain, all on the menu of misery. Indeed, the city's warning isn't just for the birds; those over 60, the immunocompromised, and individuals with certain chronic conditions face the highest risk of severe illness, as reported by the City of New Orleans.
Turning from potential peril to prevention, New Orleans' mosquito gurus are calling on citizens to mount their defense by dumping standing water on their properties—mosquito breeding grounds for everyone's which, if left unchecked, can bring forth a new generation of pests in as little as one week. The board's advice stretches from applying EPA-registered repellents with the right active ingredients to keeping pools and fountains in operating order, the latter ensuring circulating water leaves no room for mosquito maternity wards, as stated by the City of New Orleans.
It's a roll-up-your-sleeves scenario, with community-wide cleanups and precautions seen as crucial complements to the city's own spraying efforts. The message is clear: make it hard for mosquitoes to call your place home. Repair those screens, empty those buckets, flip those kiddie pools, and let’s keep those bloodsuckers at bay, as per the City of New Orleans.
