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Wetlands, Mosquitoes, and West Nile Virus

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Wetlands, Mosquitoes, and West Nile Virus United States Department of Agriculture Biology Technical Note Indiana - April 2008 (ver. 1.0) Wetlands, Mosquitoes, and West Nile Virus The purpose of this document is to: • Provide an understanding of the interaction between wetlands, mosquitoes, and West Nile virus (WNV). • Reduce the fear that wetlands are a primary breeding ground for mosquitoes carrying WNV. • List ways to reduce mosquito-breeding areas around your home and to prevent mosquito bites. DISCLAIMER Culex mosquito laying eggs The West Nile virus is relatively new to North America and many unknowns still exist. Every The West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne virus that attempt has been made to see that the material was first isolated in the West Nile District of presented in this document was the latest infor- Uganda in 1937. In the U.S. since 1999, WNV mation available at the time of its publication. human, bird, veterinary or mosquito activity have However, be aware that scientific research and been reported from all states except Hawaii and information is constantly changing. Please con- Alaska. tact the agencies and resources listed in the REFERENCES Section for the most current in- It is important to note that not all mosqui- formation regarding the interaction of West Nile toes carry WNV, not all mosquitoes feed virus, mosquitoes and wetlands. on humans, and breeding habitat varies for each mosquito species. WEST NILE VIRUS About 200 mosquito species are found in the Concerns over the spread of WNV have brought United States. The mosquito that has been most considerable attention to mosquitoes and their closely associated with transmitting West Nile vi- habitats. rus in the northeast United States, and in Indiana, To a large degree, West Nile virus is a is the northern house mosquito (Culex pipiens). disease associated with human habitats These mosquitoes "prefer" to bite birds, but if and not wetland sites. breeding sites are available near people's homes and domestic animal enclosures, Culex pipiens The by-products of human’s activities have been will bite people and domestic animals. The Cen- a major contributor to the creation of mosquito ters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) breeding habitats. In 2002, for example, the Fort indicates that although other species may contrib- Wayne/Allen County Department of Health sur- ute to human WNV transmission, control of Culex veyed mosquito-breeding sites near human West mosquitoes continues to be the most important Nile virus cases. The survey found that 66% of strategy to reduce risk for WNV transmission to these breeding sites were tires. humans. Page 1 of 7 Indiana April 2008 Indiana FOTG Standards can be found at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/efotg/ The larvae of Culex mosquitoes prefer to live in nutrient-rich, organic (often polluted) sites, such as leakage from septic tanks, abandoned swim- ming pools, clogged gutters, and similar enriched- water containers. Culex are generally weak fliers and do not move far from home, although they have been known to fly up to two miles. Culex pipiens are most active during dawn and dusk. WNV is spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes acquire WNV when feed- ing on infected birds that have high levels of WNV in their blood. The virus replicates and is then stored in the mosquito's salivary glands before being transmitted to humans or other animals dur- ing the mosquito bite. Humans and domestic mammals are considered Reporting Dead Birds. While most survive, birds “dead-end" hosts, because they do not contribute infected with West Nile virus can become ill or die. to the transmission cycle even though they be- Dead birds in an area may mean that WNV is cir- come ill. In a very small number of cases, WNV culating between the birds and the mosquitoes in also has been spread through blood transfusions, that area. At least 220 bird species that reside in organ transplants, breastfeeding and during preg- North America have become infected with West nancy from mother to baby (one case). WNV is Nile virus. However, blue jays, crows, falcons, and not spread through casual contact such as touch- hawks are highly sensitive to the virus, and there- ing or kissing a person with the virus. fore, are the best indicators of West Nile virus ac- tivity in a community. Statistically, a person's risk of contract- ing West Nile is low, and less than 1% of Warning: those infected develop serious illness Dead wild birds should not be handled from the virus. with bare hands. Those at highest risk for serious illness are the If you find a dead blue jay, crow, falcon, or hawk, elderly and those with lowered immune systems. please call your local health department and ask However, people of all ages can develop serious them if they would like to pick it up and send it to illness, so it is important for everyone to protect the State Laboratory. Local agencies have dif- themselves from mosquito bites to minimize the ferent policies for collecting and testing birds. risk of infection. While people may feel that they Many health departments will not start collecting have no control over the risk of exposure, this is sick or dead birds until the peak of the mosquito- not true. Self-protection is still the best way to re- breeding season. Once West Nile virus is de- duce your risk of contracting WNV. There are tected in a county, further testing of dead birds is many ways you can prevent mosquito bites and usually not necessary. reduce mosquito-breeding areas around your home. See PREVENTION/ACTIONS for addi- HEALTHY WETLANDS tional information. Horses. Mosquitoes may also spread the WNV Wetlands play an essential role in maintaining a to horses. It is important to take preventive ac- well-functioning environment. Wetlands filter and tions early, prior to the time of the year when clean water, reduce flooding, control erosion, and mosquitoes are likely to bite and infect horses. provide sites for recreational activities such as Horses may become infected without showing any canoeing, fishing, and bird watching. Before clinical signs. See APHIS Animal Disease Alert, European settlement, Indiana's wetlands covered West Nile Virus: Protecting Your Horses, for fur- approximately 25% of the state. As settlers ther information. The Alert also has information moved west, wetlands were drained for timber, on WNV vaccines available for horses, reducing farming, and commercial and industrial develop- mosquito-breeding sites, use of insect repellants, ment thus eliminating approximately 87% of the and reducing outdoor exposure. state's original wetlands. Page 2 of 7 Indiana April 2008 Wetland-dependent wildlife species have been severely impacted by this significant reduction in Culex mosquitoes are rarely found in healthy wetlands the amount and quality of wetland habitat. Wet- lands are among the most biologically productive habitats in the world. Wetlands warm quickly in the spring and produce abundant quantities of food for amphibians, reptiles, shorebirds, migrat- ing birds, and waterfowl. Even small sites, much less than an acre, can produce hundreds of frogs, toads, and salamanders. Wetlands also provide critical links to other habitat types and wildlife populations. Mosquitoes and other aquatic invertebrates are Jerry Roach, NRCS an integrated part of the wetland ecosystem pro- viding a food source for many invertebrates, birds, bats, amphibians, and fish species. They also are Damaged or degraded wetlands can provide ideal crucial in the pollination of some rare species of habitat for some mosquito species that carry West plants, such as orchids. Nile virus. Excess nutrients in contaminated wa- ters can spur microbial growth and cause harmful Culex pipiens rarely breeds in healthy wetlands, algal blooms, which feed mosquito larvae. Filling which do not support prolific mosquito breeding or draining wetlands may also increase mosquito because of the presence of predators, including outbreaks, as an altered landscape with stagnant many mosquito-eating predators. pools of water may no longer contain mosquito Insects, wildlife, and fish that eat immature mos- predators. Note that most wetlands are consid- quitoes (larvae) in the water, or eat flying adults, ered “Waters of the United States” and are pro- are often present in wetlands. Frogs, salaman- tected by the Clean Water Act. As such, any ders, and many aquatic insects such as back- drainage or filling action may require a federal swimmers, damselflies, water striders, dragon- and/or state permit. flies, and dragonfly larvae feed on mosquitoes. A drained area may actually produce Wetland wildlife including birds (e.g. swallows and more mosquitoes than it did when it was ducklings) and little brown bats also consume a wetland because it can no longer sup- numerous mosquitoes. port natural mosquito predators. These natural predators make wetlands less than Research from South Dakota State University ideal mosquito breeding sites. The two-acre Ed- found that there were many more mosquitoes in mond Avenue wetland restoration project near degraded wetlands than in higher quality wet- Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for example, dem- lands. Storm water runoff and incompatible sur- onstrated a near 100% reduction in mosquito rounding land use practices adversely affect natu- habitat and the virtual elimination of Culex spe- ral wetlands. This includes storm water runoff cies. from urban and newly urbanized areas and sedi- ment from both agriculture and construction activi- DEGRADED AND ALTERED WETLANDS ties. Therefore, maintaining the natural functions of wetlands (i.e., minimizing disturbance) is a Sometimes mosquito control programs recom- good start to potentially reducing mosquito habi- mend that wetlands be drained in order to control tat. mosquitoes. While it is true that mosquitoes re- quire standing water to breed, they also have a MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS very short life cycle (from 4 days to a month), and the eggs can remain dormant for more than a In situations where wetlands pose an unaccept- year.
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