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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Read Before Packet - 08/05/2025 - Memorandum from Ryan Vincent re West Nile Virus – Spray NotificationNatural Areas Department 1745 Hoffman Mill Road PO Box 580, Fort Collins, CO 80522 970-416-2493 rvincent@fcgov.com CC: Dean Klingner, Community Services Director; Mike Calhoon, Parks Director; Katie Donahue, Natural Areas Director; Matt Parker, Natural Areas Ecological Stewardship Manager 1 MEMORANDUM Date: August 5, 2025 To: Mayor and City Councilmembers Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager From: Ryan Vincent, Natural Areas Sr. Supervisor Subject: West Nile Virus – Spray Notification BOTTOM LINE The Larimer County Department of Health and Environment recommends that the City spray for adult mosquitoes on Thursday, Aug. 7. Data from the trapping network indicate a rebound of West Nile Virus (WNV) activity. The treatment zone covers parts of the northeast and southeast quadrants, specifically between Prospect Road and Carpenter Road, and between Timberline Road and I-25. The vector index (VI) in this area is 0.88, exceeding the City’s policy threshold of 0.75. INSIDE THE DATA This week 11 mosquito traps tested positive, up from last week’s count of seven, with detections across all four quadrants. This week’s treatment focuses on the highest risk area and covers five of the 11 current positive trap locations. Infection rates, although lower than two weeks ago (and prior to the two previous treatments), continue to drive vector indexes values. The current infection rates are not typically seen until about a month later in the season. Docusign Envelope ID: EF31C2E6-FE2A-4DAB-930D-AD4F200F0EB9 2 WNV ACTIVITY ACROSS THE CITY Week 31 of 37 Quadrant Previous Week VI Current VI Previous Week Positive Traps Current Week Positive Traps NW 0.11 0.32 1 3 NE 0.23 0.42 2 3 SE 0.16 0.25 3 4 SW 0.09 0.1 1 1 Citywide 0.16 0.28 7 11 Floating Zone NA 0.88* NA 5 *VI Threshold for spraying in a floating zone is 0.75. WNV ACTIVITY COMPARED TO HISTORICAL AVERAGES Abundance of Culex mosquitoes (the carriers of WNV) remains below average. However, the higher-than-normal infection rate is elevating the vector index. OUTREACH EFFORTS TO INFORM RESIDENTS • The City will post spray information for the community on fcgov.com/westnile and on its social media accounts. Community members who signed up through NOCO Alert will also receive notifications. • Community members can track the progress of spray vehicles in real time using GPS on the City’s West Nile Virus website. NEXT STEPS • City staff will coordinate with Vector Disease Control International, the City’s contractor, to implement spraying on Thursday, Aug. 7, weather permitting. Spraying will start at dusk. ### Docusign Envelope ID: EF31C2E6-FE2A-4DAB-930D-AD4F200F0EB9 Natural Areas Department 1745 Hoffman Mill Road PO Box 580, Fort Collins, CO 80522 970-416-2493 rvincent@fcgov.com CC: Dean Klingner, Community Services Director; Mike Calhoon, Parks Director; Katie Donahue, Natural Areas Director; Matt Parker, Natural Areas Ecological Stewardship Manager 1 MEMORANDUM Date: August 5, 2025 To: Mayor and City Councilmembers Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager From: Ryan Vincent, Natural Areas Sr. Supervisor Subject: West Nile Virus – Spray Notification BOTTOM LINE The Larimer County Department of Health and Environment recommends that the City spray for adult mosquitoes on Thursday, Aug. 7. Data from the trapping network indicate a rebound of West Nile Virus (WNV) activity. The treatment zone covers parts of the northeast and southeast quadrants, specifically between Prospect Road and Carpenter Road, and between Timberline Road and I-25. The vector index (VI) in this area is 0.88, exceeding the City’s policy threshold of 0.75. INSIDE THE DATA This week 11 mosquito traps tested positive, up from last week’s count of seven, with detections across all four quadrants. This week’s treatment focuses on the highest risk area and covers five of the 11 current positive trap locations. Infection rates, although lower than two weeks ago (and prior to the two previous treatments), continue to drive vector indexes values. The current infection rates are not typically seen until about a month later in the season. Docusign Envelope ID: EF31C2E6-FE2A-4DAB-930D-AD4F200F0EB9 2 WNV ACTIVITY ACROSS THE CITY Week 31 of 37 Quadrant Previous Week VI Current VI Previous Week Positive Traps Current Week Positive Traps NW 0.11 0.32 1 3 NE 0.23 0.42 2 3 SE 0.16 0.25 3 4 SW 0.09 0.1 1 1 Citywide 0.16 0.28 7 11 Floating Zone NA 0.88* NA 5 *VI Threshold for spraying in a floating zone is 0.75. WNV ACTIVITY COMPARED TO HISTORICAL AVERAGES Abundance of Culex mosquitoes (the carriers of WNV) remains below average. However, the higher-than-normal infection rate is elevating the vector index. OUTREACH EFFORTS TO INFORM RESIDENTS • The City will post spray information for the community on fcgov.com/westnile and on its social media accounts. Community members who signed up through NOCO Alert will also receive notifications. • Community members can track the progress of spray vehicles in real time using GPS on the City’s West Nile Virus website. NEXT STEPS • City staff will coordinate with Vector Disease Control International, the City’s contractor, to implement spraying on Thursday, Aug. 7, weather permitting. Spraying will start at dusk. ### Docusign Envelope ID: EF31C2E6-FE2A-4DAB-930D-AD4F200F0EB9