Q&A: Larimer County Health Departments Decision to

Spray Portions of Southeast Fort Collins for West Nile Prevention

August 14, 2014

1. Why will this particular area be sprayed?
This area will be sprayed since it currently has the highest level of infected mosquitoes in the
City and has exceeded the risk index threshold at which human cases are expected to occur
for the past two weeks. This area had the highest number of infected mosquitoes last year
as well as the most residents who contracted West Nile infection. The most serious case
occurred in a resident of this area.

The decision to spray an area in order to control adult mosquitoes for reasons of public
health is based on monitoring for West Nile virus (WNV) in mosquito populations.

Public health recommends spraying to control adult mosquitoes when the risk index in an
area exceeds 0.5 the level above which human cases are expected to occur. The risk index
in this area has been over .75 for the past two weeks (weeks beginning July 27-Aug 2 and
Aug 3-Aug 9) and, when the decision to spray was made, the index had risen from 0.77 to
1.10.

The city-operated WNV management program is restricted by city policy to consider
spraying only when the Risk Index (Vector index) is at or over 0 .75 and two cases of West
Nile disease have been reported in Fort Collins residents in the same week. Like homeowners
associations, individual property owners, and businesses, the Health Department is not
restricted by such city policies and it has the statutory authority and responsibility to
investigate and control health threats. The Health Department will proceed with spraying
this limited area to lower the level of infected mosquitoes to protect the health of the
residents.

2. Why only spray this small portion of the city? Why not all of Fort Collins?
The decision to spray portions of far southeast Fort Collins specifically targets the area of the
city at highest risk of West Nile infection while minimizing the area to be sprayed. The spray
area had the highest level of infected mosquitoes last year, the highest number of reported
WNV cases, and the most seriously ill.

3. What is the vector index and why is it important?
The vector index (VI) measures the level of infected mosquitoes in an area, and is the best
available predictor of human risk of disease. The VI is a number calculated by combining
measures of the abundance of Culex mosquitoes (the two species that carries WNV) and the
rate of infection in those mosquitoes. Published investigations of large West Nile outbreaks
have show that once a vector index is over .5, the risk of humans getting infected with West
Nile virus increases.

4. The most recent vector index for Southeast Fort Collins on the Health Department / City
of Fort Collins website is listed as 0.63, but the news says that the vector index is 1.10 in
the area to be sprayed. Which is correct?


The city measures risk only within a larger boundaries; their SE zone covers the area south of
Drake and east of College. The risk index for that entire region was 0.6 during the week of
August 3. However the southeastern-most part of that area, south of Harmony and east of
Lemay, had a risk index of 1.10. The Health Departments spraying will specifically target
only those areas with the Southeast quadrant of the city with the highest risk index.


5. I notice a lot of mosquitoes in my area. Why isnt my area considered high risk?
Many of the mosquitoes you see may be what are called nuisance mosquitoes.
These do not pose a public health risk and are really just what they are called -- nuisance.
The level of infected Culex mosquitoes varies in different areas of the city in different weeks.
A map showing where infected Culex mosquitoes were trapped each week can be found at
http://www.larimer.org/health/cd/FC2014maps.htm. With limited resources, the Health
Department will do control only in the highest risk area of Fort Collins.

6. I live in Larimer County but not in Fort Collins. Why isnt the Larimer County Health
Department spraying my area?
The Larimer County Health Departments decision to spray portions of both the city and the
county in the southeast area of Fort Collins is based on the high level of infected mosquitoes
currently in that area and the population density of residents in that area. Because the
Citys current policy constrains their WNV management program from responding to this
threat in a timely manner, the Health Department will spray this area to reduce the public
health risk.

7. I often see spraying going on. Is that done by the Health Department?
Some cities, towns, homeowners associations, individual property owners, and businesses
have made the decision to spray in order to control both nuisance and disease-causing
mosquitoes. You may also have seen larvicides being applied by the citys WNV
management program. Neither of these are part of the Health Departments effort.

8. What gives the Health Department the right to spray within the City of Fort Collins?
The Larimer County Health Department has the statutory authority and duty to investigate
and control causes of disease for all residents of Larimer County, regardless of where they
live. The citys WNV management policy applies only to the operation of their own West
Nile management program, not to the Health Department, homeowners associations within
the city limits, or other property owners. The Health Department tried very hard to
persuade the City Council to adopt response guidelines for their own program that would be
effective in protecting public health should levels of infected mosquitoes rise despite their
larviciding and source-reduction efforts. Unfortunately that effort was not successful, but
the city is entitled to define the parameters of any program they operate and are paying for.

9. We live in a subdivision with an HOA that contracts for ongoing spraying services. Could
we be oversprayed due to the County spraying?
Homeowners associations may decide to have their neighborhoods sprayed to control adult
mosquitoes independently of any City or County actions. In this case, the cost of spraying is
borne by the requesting HOA, and double spraying is avoided through communication
between mosquito control contractors. Colorado Mosquito Control will contact the HOAs in
the area that do their own mosquito spraying to ensure they are not being sprayed more
often than intended .

10. Why doesnt the County perform mosquito control on County lands that are not within a
citys limits?

Until Larimer County voters choose to create a mosquito control district and fund it, there is
no funding available for broader mosquito efforts. At this time, mosquito control efforts are
focused on protecting population centers, and except for the spraying planned this week in
southeast Fort Collins, these control measures (larviciding and adulticiding) have been paid
for by municipalitieses (Windsor, Timnath, Loveland, Fort Collins), as is true throughout most
of the state.

11. We were not aware of a significant public health threat requiring mosquito spraying.
Why was this decision made so quickly?
When infected mosquitoes first appear during the summer, their numbers can increase
rapidly. The first infected mosquitoes in Fort Collins this year were detected in 3 traps from
July 20-24 which tested positive on July 28. By the following week the number of positive
traps had tripled. As in 2013, the southeastern-most portion of the city was the first to
reach very risky levels. During the week of August 3, the risk index continued to increase.
Levels of infected mosquitoes in SE Fort Collins had been elevated for 2 straight weeks and
were over thresholds at which people were likely to be infected. We knew from the 2013
outbreak that the citys WNV management policy would preclude their program from
responding in a timely way to reduce the elevated risk in this specific area. Rather than let
the residents in SE Fort Collins once again suffer a disproportionate level of disease while
waiting for cases to be reported, the Health Department committed their own resources to
intervene on behalf of these residents.

Maps of the locations of infected traps can be found at
http://www.larimer.org/health/cd/FC2014maps.htm and are posted weekly. A press release
on Aug 1 and tweet on August 8 were intended to convey the growing risk to the
community. The city also posts Culex counts each week on their website.


12. Spraying is expensive. Why are you spending so much to spray vs. larviciding/etc?
The cost of spraying for adult mosquitoes represents a small portion of the cost of an
integrated mosquito management program. The budget needed for larval control is much
greater than the cost of spraying for adult mosquitoes because it is labor intensive and is
conducted continuously throughout the mosquito season. Larval control and source
reduction can be all thats needed in some years (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) in
Fort Collins, but when levels of infected mosquitoes rise, only spraying will reduce their
numbers before natural die-offs occur.



13. How is this funded?
Spraying costs will be paid for out of the Health Departments WNV/Public Health
Emergency fund in 2014.

14. Will this deplete the Larimer County Health Departments emergency funds or impact
response to other emergencies?
Though costs will be paid from the WNV/Public Health Emergency fund, the fund was
allocated for such situations. If we need additional resources for other disasters, such as the
flood, we will make a request to the county for additional support.

15. Have there been any human cases?

As of Wednesday, August 13th, one human case has been confirmed in Larimer County (not
a Fort Collins resident). However, a significant lag time (approximately 4 weeks) exists
between when a person is infected and when their case is reported to the County Health
Department. Spraying decisions need to be made based on elevated infected mosquitoes; by
the time human cases are reported, many people will have already been infected and
spraying will be much less effective. Case numbers will be updated on the Larimer County
webpage at http://www.larimer.org/health/cd/westnile.cfm under current statistics.

16. Who can I call for specific question on spraying or to lodge a complaint?
For general information on West Nile virus or on the spraying or to leave a comment, you
may call the Health Departments West Nile information line at 970-498-6792. If youd like
specific information about the timing of the spraying in your neighborhood or other
questions for the spraying contractor, contact Colorado Mosquito Control at 663-5697 or see
their website for information on the spraying in your neighborhood at
www.comosquitocontrol.com.

17. How can I let the City of FC know that I support timely spraying to prevent public health
threats when West Nile risks are high?
To express your support of timely spraying to prevent West Nile infections to the Fort Collins
Mayor, City Council, and City Manager, you can e-mail cityleaders@fcgov.com or address
City Council during Citizen Participation during the first 30 minutes of the regular City Council
meetings that occur the first and third Tuesdays of the month at City Hall, 300 LaPorte Ave.,
unless otherwise noted on the Fort Collins City Council webpage.

18. How can I reduce my personal risk of getting West Nile virus?
The best way to avoid West Nile virus is to prevent mosquito bites. Stay indoors if possible,
during peak mosquito biting hours (generally from dusk to dawn).

Be sure to use a repellent that has been shown to be effective against Culex mosquitoes.
You can find information on effective repellents at
http://www.larimer.org/health/cd/westnile.cfm




Spraying notification questions

19. How can I be alerted when my area is to be sprayed?
Both Larimer County and the City of Fort Collins have subscription notification services to
alert residents of spraying. Both services are free of charge.

You can subscribe to the City notification service by going to
http://www.fcgov.com/westnile/ and clicking Notifications on the right side panel or, if
you dont have an e-mail address, by calling Colorado Mosquito Control at 970-962-2582.

You can subscribe to the County notification service by going to
http://www.larimer.org/subscriptions.cfm and selecting West Nile Spraying.

Updates on spraying schedules and any changes due to inclement weather will be posted on
the County webpage at www.larimer.org under hot topics: West Nile virus.

20. I signed up for notifications with the City of FC prior to this summer. Why was I alerted
when my neighborhood isnt being sprayed?
The Citys notification system divides city residents who sign up for spraying notifications
into four quadrants. There is no specific address information recorded. As a result, should a
portion of a quadrant will be sprayed, as in this case, the entire quadrant is notified and not
just the addresses in the spray zone.

Helpful Links
www.cdc.gov

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs354/en/

http://www.fightthebitecolorado.com/

Pesticides and produce: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/tips.htm

Pyrethroids used for mosquito control: http://www2.epa.gov/mosquitocontrol/permethrin-resmethrin-d-
phenothrin-sumithrinr-synthetic-pyrethroids-mosquito-control

Persistence facts: http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/metiram-propoxur/permethrin-ext.html

Local information:
http://www.fcgov.com/westnile/

http://www.comosquitocontrol.com/
970-962-2583

http://www.larimer.org/health/cd/westnile.cfm
970-498-6792