COLUMBIA (WACH) -- Richland County Vector Control is working with the Department of Health and Environmental Control and the City of Columbia to attack West Nile virus activity in the Edgewood area of the city near the Benedict College football stadium.
“We know there is a history of West Nile activity in this area which is why we continue to monitor it year after year, every once in a while it pops positive, this time it came positive and it is staying positive it is not stopping,” explains Tammy Brewer, Director of the Richland County Vector Control program.
The virus is spread by infected mosquitoes. Officials say severe symptoms can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, vision loss, tremors, numbness, or paralysis. Approximately 80% of people who are infected with West Nile virus will not show any symptoms.
It may seem late in the year to be worrying about them, but health officials say the cold weather in the Midlands isn’t killing mosquitoes, it is only slowing them down.
Brewer says, “this is late for West Nile activity this is late in the year, we don't exactly understand why it is late, we're not exactly sure what is causing this to expand so that is part of why we are trying to kill what is flying.”
Crews are treating ditches and other sites that have standing water. They are also leaving fliers for residents warning them to take precautions and dump standing water that mosquitoes need to breed.
Thursday evening around 6:30 p.m. they will be spraying the area. Anyone in the area that has an allergy to permethrin or is keeping honeybees should contact Richland County Vector Control at (803) 576-2910.
Anyone in the area finding dead crows or blue jays is also asked to contract Vector Control. Those birds are susceptible to the virus.
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