Mosquitos - Environmental Health - Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health

Environmental Health

Cerro Gordo County Mosquito Surveillance Program

The Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health has a mosquito surveillance program to help experts detect diseases that may be carried by the mosquitoes. The program consists of these parts:

Mosquito Traps
Purpose: To monitor numbers and types of mosquitoes. Certain species are more likely to carry disease while other types are more likely to be nuisance mosquitoes.

Sentinel Chickens
Purpose: To monitor for the presence of Arboviruses (West Nile, St. Louis Encephalitis, Eastern Encephalitis, Western Encephalitis, and Lacrosse Encephalitis).

Collection of Birds - No bird collection
Since health officials anticipate that West Nile Virus will be present all over Iowa every summer now, the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health will not be collecting dead birds this year.

Larvae Surveillance: If our health inspectors find a large amount of culex mosquitoes in local mosquito traps, Public Health inspectors will treat the water. This involves a health inspector placing a larvacide tablet into the standing water, which will inhibit mosquito eggs from hatching into adult mosquitoes. Using the larvacide tablets in areas where mosquito larvae are detected is much more effective, and less expensive, than trying to combat the mosquito population once they have hatched. The larvacide does not pose a threat to humans.

Spraying for adult mosquitoes (also known as adulticiding): The Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health sprays for adult mosquitoes only if there is a public health threat.

Public Awareness Campaign: The Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health will be providing periodic public awareness information through the media.

There are many ways you can prevent mosquito bites and reduce mosquito breeding

Read the weekly mosquito report for Cerro Gordo County