When it was new, West Nile virus generated a lot of press
and a lot of fear. To some, it became a
bit of a joke. In high school, I
remember friends calling out, "West Nile alert!", whenever they saw a pool of
standing water or a group of mosquitoes buzzing by.
Over the years, most of us have learned to eliminate sources
of standing water around our homes, have become accustomed to notices of towns
eliminating mosquitoes, and regularly take precautions to protect ourselves
from insects when we venture into the outdoors.
But resilient viruses always find a way to live on.
Home Foreclosures on
the Rise
 It's no secret that the economy isn't doing so well in the U.S. Many Americans worry about the threat of
having their homes foreclosed. Apart
from the trauma of a family being torn from a home and that house subsequently
being sold by the bank, most of us aren't aware of what happens in the time in
between.
According to a FOX News article, the answer is "not much".
This is troublesome for homes with swimming pools as they become huge mosquito
breeding grounds when there's no one around to perform routine
maintenance. When there are a large
group of unattended pools in one area, this can especially become a
problem.
Both Florida and Texas have reported a rise in the issue of
abandoned swimming pools. In Texas, city workers are draining and cleaning them – in Fort Worth alone, it has
been 17 in seven months.
Mosquitoes and
Disease
Mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus and encephalitis breed
in swimming pools. While some areas
treat mosquitoes with chemicals that can solve the problem, others have changed
to greener methods. Fish are now added
to waterways to eat mosquito larvae; but obviously, the fish are no help for
swimming pools!
Some southern states are counting the number of foreclosed
homes with swimming pools. Other states
use another method to predict the activity level of West Nile virus.
Tracking Dead Birds
Some states use dead birds and other data to track West Nile virus.
California, for example, encourages its residents to report dead birds
and squirrels via a toll free phone number.
The data is tracked on a website.
According to the site, the State of California uses the
reports to identify areas of increased activity. This information can help alert communities
that there could be a health risk.
Resources:
http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/local/nature_coast/Foreclosures_mosquiotes_062309
http://www.smartbrief.com/news/apsp/storyDetails.jsp?issueid=6883F96A-5640-4BA6-932D-32283C1ACE04&copyid=3C34C0E2-C22D-4A95-9B08-73E54BAC096C
http://www.westnile.ca.gov/
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/publications/books/housing/cha14.htm
| 
Re: Are Viruses Lurking at Foreclosed Homes?
