An expected uptick in the mosquito population following Hurricane Harvey’s devastation is being monitored by health officials in Texas. Saying Tuesday morning, September 5, 2017, that control measures for the insects have been implemented across Houston, Governor Greg Abbott advised that wherever standing water and debris remained, mosquitoes would find the ideal breeding ground.
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Post-Harvey Texas Mosquito Populations Presently Being Monitored
Photo: Facebook/The Health-Care Survivor
In a report by Fox News, Harris County officials have been identified as testing and monitoring a 1,800-square-mile area as well as spraying repellent in some spots. A spokeswoman for the county’s Public Health Department told Fox that some areas can’t be set up with mosquito traps yet as they still remain under water. Other parts of the county are undergoing “landing rate tests” to see just how many of these creatures land on a person per minute.
Photo: Facebook/Lisa Perry
Those mosquitoes which are typically found in Houston and surrounding area have been known to carry West Nile virus in years past, and the Public Health Department is urging residents to wear some type of insect repellent as well as to follow the guidelines set out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with respect to avoiding potential infection. In the meantime, the Department of Defense is also prepared to commence with wide-area spraying, in hopes of controlling what they believe to be a meaningful mosquito outbreak.
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