Brevard plans pre-emptive strike on Zika virus
Brevard County Mosquito Control will begin new aerial spraying on Thursday morning to kill mosquito larvae in what county officials called "a pre-emptive strike" against the Zika virus.
As of Monday, Brevard's Zika toll had grown to 14 cases, all contracted by people who had been traveling outside the county.
"While there have been no locally transmitted Zika virus cases in Brevard, infected people will continue to visit, so aerial applications will pro-actively reduce the risk of Zika taking hold," county officials said in a release.
Bat houses help temper Zika threat in Brevard
Aerial application of a larvicide called Vectobac WDG will center on Brevard's urban areas, where the largest populations of mosquitoes that spread Zika virus (Aedes aegypti) have been found, county officials said. Those areas harbor many small containers that hold water long enough for mosquitoes to hatch: tires, tarps, buckets, birdbaths, flower pots, trash can lids, toys and other containers.
Low-flying helicopters will spray from 1 a.m. until sunrise, including the targeted urban centers of Melbourne, Palm Bay, Satellite Beach, Rockledge, Cocoa and Titusville.
Vectobac WDG is a pesticide specific to mosquito larvae, with very few effects on honey bees or other insects.
"It is the best and safest pesticide permitted for use in the U.S. by the Environmental Protection Agency and in Florida by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences for treating areas that produce large populations of Aedes aegypti," the release said.
Local healthcare providers prepare for Zika virus
No special precautions are necessary during aerial spraying, but county officials strongly urge all residents to cover, drain and/or treat standing water in order to stop mosquitoes from reproducing.
Florida has confirmed that local transmission of Zika virus is occurring in about a 4.5 square mile area in Miami Beach within the boundaries of 8th and 63rd streets.
On Sept. 19, the "Zika zone" in Wynwood section of Miami, originally about one square mile, was lifted after 45 days with no evidence of active Zika transmission, according to the Florida Department of Health.
As of Monday, there were a total of 689 Zika cases in Florida not involving pregnant women and 90 cases involving pregnant women.
Contact Waymer at 321-242-3663 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com Follow him on Twitter: @JWayEnviro or at www.facebook.com/jim.waymer
For information and frequently asked questions on Bti, the active ingredient in Vectobac WDG, visit www.epa.gov/mosquitocontrol/bti-mosquito-control.
Brevard County residents who wish to report a mosquito nuisance should call (321) 264-5032 for North Brevard or (321) 952-4523 for South Brevard. Information on the County’s Mosquito Control program is available athttp://www.brevardcounty.us/MosquitoControl/Home.