Reduce and Repel

DeKalb County Health Department is encouraging residents to be vigilant about eliminating sources for mosquitoes to breed, as well as using personal protection to avoid mosquito bites. The DeKalb County Health Department monitors for West Nile Virus (WNV) activity by collecting mosquitoes in traps in the area. Taking precautions to protect yourself and your family reduces the risk of being bitten by any infected mosquito, including those that can transmit WNV and other viruses.

“The best way to prevent West Nile virus or any other mosquito-borne illness is to reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home and to take personal precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Precautions include reducing exposure and using repellent,” says Greg Maurice, Director of Health Protection. Monitoring your property for standing water is also important to minimize mosquito breeding.

In an effort to keep residents safe, the DeKalb County Health Department will be distributing insect repellent to local food pantries to help prevent mosquito bites and mosquito borne illness. Funding for the repellent was made possible through a grant from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

REDUCE exposure – avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn.

• Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut, especially at night

• Eliminate all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires and any other receptacles.

.

REPEL – When outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and apply insect repellent that contains DEET, oil of lemon, eucalyptus or IR 3535, according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.

For more information about WNV, visit http://public.dph.illinois.gov/wnvpublic/ Follow the DeKalb County Health Department on Twitter and Facebook or visit their website.