HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 8/31/2021 - Memorandum From Matt Parker, Tyler Marr, Amy Resseguie Re: West Nile Virus (Wnv) - Adult Mosquito Spray Application 1745 Hoffman Mill Road
PO Box 580, Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580
MEMORANDUM
Date: August 26, 2021
To: Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Matt Parker, Sr. Supervisor, Natural Areas
Amy Resseguie, Sr. Specialist, Communications & Public Involvement
Tyler Marr, Deputy Director, Information & Employee Services
Through: Kelly DiMartino, Interim City Manager
Seve Ghose, Director, Community Services
Mike Calhoon, Director, Parks
Zoe Shark, Interim Director, Natural Areas
Subject: West Nile virus (WNV) Adult Mosquito Spray Application
Summary:
Adult mosquito treatments are scheduled for the evenings of Thursday, August 26, and Sunday,
August 29 for a 7-trap area in the northeast portion of the city. The area north of Mulberry
Avenue, extending to Douglas Road, and from College Avenue to the east of I-25 presents a
vector index value of 1.24, exceeding the 0.75 threshold for adult mosquito treatments.
The first treatment of the season, conducted on August 12 and August 15, proved highly
effective in reducing the community threat of WNV in the southeast area of the city
data which is the first post-treatment data available, indicates a reduction of the vector index in
the previous treatment area from 0.76 to 0.04.
Current Vector Index:
Week No: 33 Vector Index
Threshold:
Previous Week Vector
Index:
Current Vector
Index:
FC Zone NW NA 0.52 0.09
FC Zone NE NA 0.44 0.84
FC Zone SE NA 0.54 0.08
FC Zone SW NA 0.15 0.16
FC Citywide NA 0.44 0.26
Floating Zone 0.75 0.63 1.24
Current Conditions: Culex mosquito abundance is generally declining, although as is typical for
this time of the season, the infection rate within those mosquitos continues to climb. Overnight
low temperatures in the low 50s and high 40s are required to slow the reproductive cycle of
City of Fort Collins
mosquitoes, bringing the high threat WNV season to an end. Such temperatures do not yet
show up in the extended forecast.
Although the vector index in the entire northeast quadrant exceeds the policy threshold of 0.75,
that value is driven by four traps in the north half of the northeast quadrant. The application
recommendation, coming from the Larimer County Department of Health, recognizes that an
application of the entire northeast quadrant would include six additional traps between Mulberry
Avenue and Drake Road that do not indicate the presence of WNV. This recommendation is
consistent with the program which is based on an integrated pest management
approach with the intention to minimize potential negative impacts to the community and the
environment while mitigating human WNV risk.
Outreach and Public Awareness:
Communication regarding spray applications includes news releases, webpage updates, social
media posts, a hotline recording, and phone/email/text alerts sent through the NoCo Alert
(LETA911) system to those people who have subscribed to receive such alerts . The
information shared includes details about the spray application timing and location, as well as
general instructions for community members in those areas. Outreach materials and messaging
is shared in both English and Spanish.
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