Pools of mosquitoes with West Nile virus exterminated in Delaware County

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Several pools of mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus were discovered and treated across Delaware County this month.

Since April, the Delaware County Health Department has been monitoring 15 sites around the county, looking for mosquitoes with the virus. Teams collect samples each week, and earlier this month, it paid off.

“This is routine,” said Deputy Director Lora Werner. “We do expect to find these positive pools as part of our surveillance. It’s not unexpected — it’s actually a little bit later in the year than the first pool detection that we had last year.”

Health officials immediately jumped into action when they found the first pool of standing water at the Concord Dog Park in Concord Township.

“We do larvacide treatments in pools that require that,” Werner said. “That’s actually the bulk of the kind of treatment that we do.”

Health officials on Wednesday said three other West Nile virus-positive pools were detected in Yeadon Borough, Haverford Township and Brookhaven Borough. No human cases of the virus have been reported, officials said.

Werner stressed that it’s not unusual to find a few pools of mosquitoes with West Nile virus each summer, so there is no need for panic.

“We don’t want people to be unduly alarmed,” she said, “just smart.”

Residents can do their part in mitigating the insects by getting rid of any still water on their property.

“You really want to check around your property, especially in things like buckets or even little kiddie pools,” added health department spokesperson Matt Rankin. “You should be emptying, this time of year, at the end of the day. Clogged rain gutters are another popular breeding ground for mosquitoes.”

And although it’s hot, people should still make sure they are properly covered outside to help reduce the risk of mosquito bites.