Important West Nile Virus Info

Dear Franklin Township Officials:

The Warren County Mosquito Commission has noted an increase in West Nile Virus activity in the county this year. This is consistent with what is taking place statewide.

Some birds succumb to West Nile Virus and are tested via the county health department, serving as indicators of the virus presence. The number of birds reported, tested and found positive have been greatly reduced in recent years.

The Mosquito Commission collects mosquitoes and has them tested at the public health lab in Trenton (through a cooperative program with the State Mosquito Control Commission).  Collections are made throughout the county, including all municipalities, during the active adult mosquito season (April- November).

JUST NOTED: A sample of 70 Culex mosquitoes (a type of mosquito most active at night and preferring to feed on birds to get blood needed for egg development) was collected in the Asbury area of the Township on September 30th. It was sent for testing on Tuesday and the results came back positive late yesterday afternoon.

This type of mosquito is responsible for transmitting West Nile virus, particularly among the bird population.  This is the first indication of West Nile Virus in Franklin Township since the virus was first noted in the US in 1999.

Additional traps (a different kind than is used to collect Culex) are being set today to sample for mosquitoes that may be present in the area and are more likely to bite people. Since these types of mosquitoes generally come from areas that are intermittently dry and wet and it has been so dry this summer, we are not expecting to collect many human biting mosquitoes but the traps will not be collected until tomorrow, at which point an update will be sent.  If a significant population exists, spraying for adult mosquitoes is an option to control those adults.

Literature on West Nile Virus, repellents, our Commission and on cleaning up mosquito breeding containers will be dropped off at the municipal building today.  Your township is commended for posting an alert to your residents proactively a couple of weeks ago.  That effort is appreciated and will help to prevent possible human illness from this mosquito borne virus.

Recent rains have flooded areas all over the county and they are currently being inspected. Larval control efforts are being employed to control the mosquitoes before they can become adults and be a problem. 

Respectfully,

Christine  P. Musa, Superintendent

Warren County Mosquito Commission
PO Box 388 ~ 2 Furnace Street
Oxford, NJ 07863
Tel:   908.453.3585
Cell:  908.887.3702

Fax:  908.453.2662

www.warrencountymosquito.org