The Lackawanna County West Nile Virus Prevention Program recently began its seasonal mosquito monitoring, with the first traps of the season set last week.
Seasonal mosquito surveillance will continue through September, program Director Rocco Genovese said in a news release.
Anyone who comes upon a mosquito trap — the traps use batteries and dry ice and emit an audible humming noise — should leave it in place. They are set and recovered within 24 hours. If residents report the traps as suspicious devices, local officials can call Genovese at 570-840-3297.
Mosquito
West Nile virus is most commonly spread through the bite of an infected mosquito and has symptoms including fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, rash and pain behind the eyes, according to the Cleveland Clinic. About 20% of individuals infected with the virus will experience symptoms. In rare cases the virus can cause serious brain and spinal cord inflammation.
And while West Nile is the most common mosquito-transmitted virus in the United States, human cases are relatively rare. State Department of Environmental Protection data for 2024 shows 60 total human West Nile virus cases statewide and only four locally. There was just one human case reported in each of Lackawanna and Schuylkill counties, two cases reported in Luzerne County and none in Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne or Wyoming counties.
There were 3,035 West Nile-positive mosquito samples collected statewide in 2024, including 32 in Lackawanna County and 103 in Luzerne County, that data shows.
There are no vaccines to prevent or medicines to treat West Nile in people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but individuals can mitigate their risk of contracting the virus by protecting against mosquito bites. The best way to do so is to use Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellents, wear long sleeves and pants, treat clothing and gear with permethrin, and take steps to control mosquitoes both outdoors and indoors, such as eliminating standing water on a property and using screens on windows and doors, per the CDC.
Information is available online at cdc.gov/west-nile-virus.