Due to reduced operating revenue
the Jefferson County Health Department has been forced to adopt a temporary mosquito
control protocol. This protocol will govern the implementation of mosquito control,
if any mosquito control can be provided, until revenues are capable of supporting a more comprehensive control capability.
If operating revenue can not be obtained, surveillance and control operations
may be suspended indefinitely.
Based on the 2004 St. Louis Metro Area Acton Plan
The first reports of West Nile virus in the Western Hemisphere occurred in New York
City in 1999. Human, bird, horse and small mammal cases were subsequently reported
throughout the Middle Atlantic States and New England. Since that time, the virus
has spread south to Florida and west through Missouri, infecting birds and mosquitoes
in a natural cycle.
West Nile virus was discovered in St. Louis and St. Louis County through bird testing
during late September and early October of 2001. It continues to recur within the
state and Jefferson County. Each year human West Nile infections are identified
and the virus continues to be identified in birds and mosquitoes. If the CDC estimate
of approximately 141 asymptomatic infections for every clinical case is correct,
we have thousands of exposed asymptomatic individuals within Missouri each year.
St. Louis Encephalitis has been identified in several areas in the state including
in mosquitoes within Jefferson County. Other mosquito borne illnesses are endemic
in Missouri such as Lacrosse encephalitis, Eastern Equine Encephalitis and Western
Equine Encephalitis while yet other mosquito borne illnesses such as malaria (Eliminated
from the U.S. in the 1950’s) and new diseases such as Dengue Fever are reemerging
or are impending threats in the U.S. .These mosquito borne pathogens may be a public
health risk at any time and require the surveillance and control efforts outlined
in the Mosquito Borne Disease Response Plan. This plan outlines our response activities
and surveillance activities as tools to reduce or prevent human infections.
This plan was originally completed through the combined efforts of Mark Ritter (City
of St. Louis), Ron Darling (St. Peters, Missouri), Barry McCauley (St. Charles County)
and Joan Bradford and Michael Williams (St. Louis County). It was reviewed and revised
in March of 2003 to reflect the results of the 2002 West Nile introduction into
the area. Guidelines and written materials from the City of New York, the Federal
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Missouri Department of
Health and Senior Services were used in the preparation of this document.
The plThe plan
was again revised in 2007 by the Jefferson County Health Department.