West Nile Virus Links for Texas

Human WNv Data by County and by Week for Texas

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Mosquito Control Gimmicks - TAMU

When it comes to mosquito control devices, about the only thing that works is common sense, says an entomologist with Texas A&M University.

Meanwhile, many Texas citizens are using devices or controls costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars that may offer only marginal control or may actually draw more mosquitoes onto their property, said Dr. Jim Olson, professor of entomology with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station in CollegeStation. [...]

What's particularly disturbing to Olson are the pesticide misting devices now on the market. There are several models, but they generally work by emitting small puffs of the insecticides at timed intervals around a house's perimeter. The devices are expensive, costing as much as $5,000, and their effectiveness is suspect. Worse is the amount of pesticide they release into the environment over time and the possibility of inhalation by residents and the drift of the pesticide to other properties.

"It's about the most indiscriminate, irresponsible use of a chemical control that I've ever seen," Olson said.

What You Can Do
Mosquito Management and Control
Texas A&M, Department of Entomology

The reduction, elimination or treatment of these various [breeding] sites are the best and most cost-effective means of abatement. While most of the species are just a nuisance, stagnant water breeders pose the leading health risk. Nutrient rich, stagnant pools of water are the preferred breeding site for the Culex species. Culex mosquitoes are a major transmitter of encephalitis viruses.

Texas Department of State Health Services

July, August and September are the prime months for human cases of WNv in Texas

West Nile Virus In Texas
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/topicrelatedcontent.aspx?itemsid=1202

Information for West Nile Virus in Texas
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/disease/arboviral/westNile/information/

Maps of West Nile Virus Surveillance Data
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/disease/arboviral/westnile/maps/

Statistics for West Nile Virus in Texas
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/disease/arboviral/westNile/statistics/

West Nile Virus Information Line: 1-888-883-9997 or click here to find a contact in your area.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CDC's West Nile Virus - Home Page
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm

Human WNv Data by County and by Week for Texas - CDC
http://diseasemaps.usgs.gov/wnv_tx_human.html

Mosquito WNv Data by County and by Week for Texas - CDC
http://diseasemaps.usgs.gov/wnv_tx_mosquito.html

Human West Nile Virus Data by State for the US - CDC
http://diseasemaps.usgs.gov/wnv_us_human.html

Human WNv Data by County and by Week for Texas per CDC - 2009
http://web.archive.org/web/20100527094339/http://diseasemaps.usgs.gov/wnv_tx_human.html

Detailed Transmission and Maintenance Cycle of Arboviral Encephalitis (PDF)
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/arbor/schemat.pdf

Illness onset for 66 persons with WNv disease cases, 2001

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5123a1.htm#fig2

Environmental Protection Agency

How to Use Insect Repellents Safely

http://cfpub.epa.gov/oppref/insect/index.cfm

Joint EPA-CDC Statement on Mosquito Control
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/mosquitoes/mosquitojoint.htm

EPA and Mosquito Control
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/mosquitoes/

Malathion For Mosquito Control
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/mosquitoes/malathion4mosquitoes.htm

Synthetic Pyrethroids (Permethrin, Resmethrin, and Sumithrin)
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/mosquitoes/pyrethroids4mosquitoes.htm

What is a Pyrethroid insecticide? - Texas AgriLife Extension
http://citybugs.tamu.edu/factsheets/ipm/ent-6003/

Larvicides For Mosquito Control
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/mosquitoes/larvicides4mosquitoes.htm

Biological Control - Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis or Bti - Cornell
http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/biocontrol/pathogens/bacteria.html

Mosquito Dunks (Bti) can be purchased for as little as $9.97 per six pack atyour local big box store
http://www.lowes.com/pd_92460-1643-MODU1_0__?catalogId=10051&productId=3047384

DEET-related Information

Information about the insect repellents containing "DEET" - EPA
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/chemicals/deet.htm

"A higher percentage of DEET in a repellent does not mean that your protection is better—just that it will last longer. DEET concentrations higher than 50% do not increase the length of protection." - CDC

Insect Repellent Use and Safety - CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/insect_repellent.htm

Comparative Efficacy of Insect Repellents against Mosquito Bites - New England Journal of Medicine 
 http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/347/1/13

DEET - General Fact Sheet - Oregon State University

http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/DEETgen.pdf

Permethrin Fast Facts - South Dakota Department of Health 
http://doh.sd.gov/WestNile/Permethrin.aspx

Wildlife Information

Bird & Birder-related Information

Q. Should people stop feeding birds? (CDC)
A. There is no reason for people to stop feeding birds. Feeding birds does not increase a person's risk for contracting WNV infection.

"Although birds, particularly crows and jays, infected with WN virus can die or become ill, most infected birds do survive." - CDC

Range of Blue Jay - Texas Breeding Bird Atlas
http://txtbba.tamu.edu/species-accounts/blue-jay/

Range of American Crow - Texas Breeding Bird Atlas
http://txtbba.tamu.edu/species-accounts/american-crow/

How Do I Report a Dead Bird? - TDSHS
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/disease/avian_flu/reporting/

Photo of three mosquitoes feeding on a bird, two at the edge of the bird's eye
http://www.anbg.gov.au/biodiversity2000/invaders/img017.GIF

326 Bird Species Reported to CDC's WNv Avian Mortality Database - as of Apr 2009
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/birdspecies.htm

Wildlife Species Affected by WNv as Reported to USGS - as of 2003
http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/west_nile_virus/affected_species.jsp

Horse-related Information

"Approximately 40% of equine WN virus cases results in the death of the horse." - CDC

"Horses were the only WNV-infected nonhuman mammals reported in 2001." - CDC

Horse data by county (cumulative) and by week per CDC
http://diseasemaps.usgs.gov/wnv_tx_veterinary.html

Map of Texas Counties with WNv in Horses - TDSHS - 2012
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/uploadedImages/Content/Prevention_and_Preparedness/IDCU/disease/arboviral/westnile/maps/texas/2012/tx2012Horse.jpg

• Toll Free Number (800) 550-8242
• Texas Veterinary Services (512) 916-5552

Pet-related Information

Q. Can I put DEET on my pets to protect them from mosquito bites? (CDC)
A. It is recommended that you do not apply repellents with DEET to animals, because they may lick themselves and therefore "eat" the product. You may want to check with your veterinarian for suggestions if a pet is being bothered by mosquitoes.

Fish-related Information

Gambusia holbrooki - Eastern Mosquitofishes - USGS
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?speciesID=849

Gambusia affinis - Western Mosquitofishes - USGS
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=846

"Although widely introduced as mosquito control agents, recent critical reviews of the world literature on mosquito control have not supported the view that Gambusia are particularly effective in reducing mosquito populations or in reducing the incidence of mosquito-borne diseases" - USGS

Some Mosquitoes of Medical Importance

There are over 3,000 mosquito species worldwide, over 200 species in the United States and approximately 85 species in Texas.

Over 15 species are thought to be involved in the cycling of West Nile virus.

Mosquito WNv Data by County and by Week for Texas - CDC
http://diseasemaps.usgs.gov/wnv_tx_mosquito.html

Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex Photos - OK State Department of Entomology
http://entoplp.okstate.edu/mosquito/biology.html

Mosquito Species Positive for WN virus, June – October, 2000 - CDC

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/misc/slides/savage/slide04.htm

Host-Use Patterns of WNv-positive Mosquito Species as of June 2001 - CDC

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/misc/slides/nasci/slide06.htm

Culex pipiens: Fact Sheet - Rutgers
http://www-rci.rutgers.edu/~insects/cxpip.htm

Culex pipiens Complex (includes: Cx. quinquefasciatus: Southern House Mosquito - Rutgers
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~insects/sp1.htm
Thought to be one of the primary WN vectors throughout Texas
Ornithophilic - Stabilizing Vector- Breeds in standing, very septic water
One of our most common warm weather backyard mosquitoes

Aedes albopictus: Asian Tiger Mosquito - Rutgers
http://www-rci.rutgers.edu/~insects/tiger.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/arbor/albopic_97_sm.htm - CDC Map 2000
Opportunistic feeder - Amplifying Vector - Introduced in 1985 - Day Biter
Breeds very well in irrigated lawns, most common in eastern half of Texas

Culex tarsalis: Western Encephalitis Mosquito - Rutgers
http://www-rci.rutgers.edu/~insects/sp6.htm
Mammalophilic - Prime suspect of West Nile virus activity in West Texas
May explain high number of horse cases in west Texas

Culex salinarius - Grass Pool Breeding Culex - Rutgers
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~insects/sp11a.htm
Opportunistic - A primary vector for West Nile virus, rural active
Peak population throughout the winter particularly along the coast

Aedes vexans - Upland Flood Water Mosquito - Rutgers
http://www-rci.rutgers.edu/~insects/sp13.htm
Mammalophilic - Active in the West Nile virus cycle
Winter active in southeastern third of Texas, rural active
Warm weather active in northwest and far west Texas

Mosquitoes of Texas - Fournier et al. (1989)
http://www.texasmosquito.org/Checklist.html
Fournier et al. 1989. Medical Entomology Section Training Manual:
Mosquito-Borne Encephalitis Surveillance and Distribution Records of Texas Mosquitoes.
Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Laboratories, 115 pp.

Vector Competence of Selected North American Mosquitoes for WNv - CDC
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/7/6/01-0617_article.htm

Shortest Insect Life Cycle - University of Florida Book of Insect Records
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/walker/ufbir/chapters/chapter_16.shtml

The mosquito Psorophora confinnis (Diptera: Culicidae), probably has the shortest sexual life cycle. Temperature and geographical origin are the most important factors affecting how quickly the cycle is completed. In California’s Coachella Valley, under optimum environmental conditions, Psorophora confinnis can complete an entire life cycle within a week.

Photo of three mosquitoes feeding on a bird, two at the edge of the bird's eye
http://www.anbg.gov.au/biodiversity2000/invaders/img017.GIF

Other North American Mosquitoes of Medical Importance
http://www.texasento.net/mosquitoes.htm

Essays, Editorials, Interviews, Histories

History of Mosquito Control in NJ
http://www-rci.rutgers.edu/~insects/wiab.htm

Mosquito Bytes - The Why Files
http://whyfiles.org/016skeeter/index.html

Mosquito: A Natural History of Our Most Persistent and Deadly Foe 
http://books.google.com/books/about/Mosquito.html?id=e1wgAQAAIAAJ

NPR interview with Andrew Spielman, author of Mosquito - 46 Minutes
http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2001/jul/010713.mosquito.html

Public Panic over West Nile Virus - 2000 - NABA
http://www.naba.org/wnvirus.html

News and Research

MEDLINEplus - A service of the National Library of Medicine
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/westnilevirus.html

Other Related Sites - CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/links.htm

04 Feb 2014 © Mike Quinn / entomike@gmail.com / Texas Entomology