Mosquito Tests Positive For West Nile Virus In Chester County
By Jim Melwert
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A mosquito has tested positive for West Nile Virus in Chester County.
The positive test was in the Phoenixville area, part of a regular surveillance program that's been in place for years, where traps are set to collect mosquitoes to scan for West Nile Virus. Richard Johnson with the Chester County Health Department says the positive test is not reason for alarm, but is reason for further testing:
"Depending on what we find, if we do get more positives and-or we get very high numbers of mosquitoes in any one trap, then we consider doing an adult spray to try to knock down the adult population," said Johnson.
He says they'll target areas with high mosquito populations to stop them at the larval stage. And he adds, this time of year, it's key to remove any standing water to prevent mosquito breeding grounds.