Spraying mosquitoes will be last resort

By KRISTA GROMALSKI

MILFORD — We will do everything in our power to avoid spraying, said Pike County Cooperative Extension Executive Director Nancy Grotevant of the county’s West Nile Virus Surveillance and Control Program.

The final decision, however, will come from Harrisburg, she said.

Grotevant spoke at the May 2 Pike County Commissioners meeting where the $122,000 grant agreement for the West Nile program was approved.

West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne disease that can cause encephalitis, or a brain infection. Infected mosquitoes pass the virus onto birds, animals and people, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

As recently as this spring, mosquito larvae were found in storm drains in the Matamoras area, according to Grotevant. “This shouldn’t be surprising,” she said, since infected mosquitoes were detected in the same area last year.

“We’ll keep an eye on that,” she said.

In addition to surveillance, the county’s West Nile program might include a tire clean up within the next few weeks. “It’s not clear yet how it will be handled,” but it is possible that grant money may be available to fund such a project, Grotevant said.

According to information issues by the DEP, “tire piles could provide suitable areas for mosquitoes to breed, including those known to carry West Nile virus.”

Karen Batalin, Pike’s West Nile Field Director, and representatives from the DEP have already determined several locations of tire sites within the county, according to Grotevant.

For information about the surveillance program, call 877/PA-HEALTH or visit www.westnile.state.pa.us.

In other business, the commissioners approved a $698,000 subsidized child day care grant agreement with the PA Department of Public Welfare.

The 2001-02 agreement includes a $60,000 increase from last year, said Linda Smith, director of Children and Youth Services.

“The grant provides qualifying parents a break on fees for child care and will allow us to serve more children,” she said.

The commissioners also approved the Area Agency on Aging’s (AAA) $150,000 Revenue Replacement Grant application to the PA Department of Transportation.

The application will cover AAA’s 2001-02 shared ride program, said Robin Lo Dolce, the agency’s executive director.