Officials with the Department of Health are urging the public to remain aware of the dangers posed by West Nile Virus, a disease carried by mosquitos.
While mosquitos don’t start to become a nuisance until early summer, communities can start applying now for grants to control the insect’s population and prevent the spread of the virus.
Bill Chalcraft is public health preparedness and response administrator for the Department of Health. He says around 2,300 cases, including 38 deaths, have been reported since West Nile came to South Dakota over a decade ago.
“There are still going to be some mosquitos that make it through and you need to take personal precautions for you and your family especially when you’re out around that dusk time frame, so that includes using insect repellants, long sleeved clothing and if necessary, limit your time outside during those peak periods,” says Chalcraft.
Chalcraft says efforts to control mosquitos include reducing breeding areas and spraying. He says the Department of Health has allocated five hundred thousand dollars to be used by city, county and tribal mosquito control programs.
Click here to apply for a community grant.