Mosquito Control Commission

IMPORTANCE OF MOSQUITO CONTROL

Mosquito Control is important to the community because of the vector potential that exists from mosquitoes in transmitting diseases and the annoyance factor in disrupting man's outdoor activities. The vector potential of mosquitoes stems from the female's bloodsucking habits. Infection can happen only if the mosquito bites an infected animal or person, gets the disease itself, and then bites a person to transmit the disease. Various mosquito species are capable of transmitting malaria, dengue, yellow fever, filariasis, encephalitis and other diseases. The mosquito borne disease that causes the most health concern in our area is:

Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile Virus (WNV).

Public health is the primary concern of the Commission but is not the only reason for mosquito control. Mosquitoes can be a nuisance to the public by affecting labor efficiency, depreciation of real estate values, and interference with outdoor activities. They can also affect the health of livestock, pets, and wild animal populations.