The Riverbank News

Wednesday, August 24, 2005 11:46 AM PDT

While the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency (HSA) continues to receive reports of new cases of West Nile Virus this week, the East Side Mosquito Abatement District (ESMAD) stated Monday that results from a campaign of increased large tract spraying that began Aug.15 and is continuing, is keeping the mosquito population down.

Lloyd Douglass, manager of the ESMAD has announced mosquito counts from traps that were set before and after the spraying of Thursday, Aug. 18 indicate a significant reduction of between 50 - to 60 percent in mosquito counts. Those large-scale sprayings were done in an area bordered by Briggsmore, McHenry, Scenic and Oakdale Roads.

He said the focus continues to be on intensive ground spraying. Aerial spraying, which is the next step up in control measures, is still an option in the event of an increase. In the agency's previous announcement, when the mosquito population spiked and a decision was made Aug. 12 to go the widespread spraying tactics, aerial spraying was under more prominent consideration.

Read more >>