Jackson County has detected its first West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes of the year, prompting health officials to urge residents to take precautions as mosquito activity increases across the region.
The detection comes as the county also continues to battle the spread of an invasive mosquito species that bites during the day, adding to the workload for the Jackson County Vector Control District. Officials say both developments underscore the importance of eliminating standing water and protecting against mosquito bites.
Andrew Partin, a certified public health entomologist with the Jackson County Vector Control District, said the first West Nile virus-positive mosquito pool of the season was found in Eagle Point. While the detection came slightly earlier than usual, he said the virus has been present in Jackson County for more than two decades.
"We have detected this mosquito-borne disease each year in Jackson County since 2004," Partin said.
He said that pattern should be a signal to take precautions, not a cause for panic.
The district is also monitoring Aedes aegypti, an invasive mosquito species native to Africa that bites during the day, unlike the area's native Culex mosquitoes, which are most active around dawn and dusk.
Tracking mosquito populations is labor-intensive for the district's two-person team, which sorts thousands of mosquitoes by hand.
"We had one trap this summer at the Jackson County Expo that had nearly 2,500 mosquitoes," Partin said.
To help manage the growing workload, the district is asking voters to approve a five-year tax levy in November. Partin said the funding would allow the district to hire a full-time laboratory employee, speeding up mosquito identification and disease testing.
Partin said residents can help reduce mosquito populations by dumping and draining standing water around their homes and reporting sightings of small black-and-white striped mosquitoes, which may be the invasive Aedes aegypti.
Guest
- Andrew Partin, entomologist, Jackson County Vector Control District
