WASHINGTON — Several Montgomery County neighborhoods will see an increase in mosquito spraying. It is part of the state’s stepped-up fight against mosquito-borne diseases including Zika and West Nile.
On Monday night, Maryland Department of Agriculture spray trucks will focus on Wheaton, the Old Town area of Gaithersburg and Sandy Spring.
The crews will begin at 7:30 p.m. and residents in the area are being asked to avoid outdoor activity and close windows while spraying is taking place. Also it health officials urge residents to bring in pet bowls and turn off any window air conditioning units.
“We never spray without a reason, but we can’t get into any specifics about what the reasons are,” said Brian Prendergast, chief of the department’s Mosquito Control section.
Increased spraying can come if a person in an area tests positive for a mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika, West Nile of Chikungunya. It also may be done if a mosquito tests positive for a virus.
Maryland’s Health Department has said that mosquitoes in test pools have tested positive for West Nile in both Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
Also, the state has reported the first confirmed case of West Nile virus of the year in a man who lives in western Maryland. The state says the man has survived the infection.
People in the treatment areas also should expect a visit in the coming days from state and local inspectors which will go door-to-door looking for mosquito breeding sites in backyards.
One of the most effective ways for a homeowner to keep mosquitoes from reproducing is to remove and standing water from around houses.
