West Nile Virus Found in Stow's Mosquitos; County Spraying Monday

Bugged by the bugs? The Summit County Public Health Department is planning to help get rid of those pesky mosquitos by spraying on every residential street in Stow Monday after finding in the city. 

Stow resident Andrew Deikun, the county's coordinator for the mosquito control program, said the county set up seven traps in Stow recently and out of those, five had mosquitos that tested positive for the West Nile Virus. 

"When we have that many that test positive, we spray the whole city," said Deikun.

The spraying is expected to begin around 8:30 p.m. and continue through the evening until the county hits every street. 

The spray that is used targets adult mosquitos to kill them. 

The spray is safe, but if residents feel better, they can close their windows and stay inside Monday evening, he said. 

Aside from spraying, Deikun recommended residents be proactive about avoiding mosquitos by wearing repellent, cleaning out standing water around the home (including in tire swings, bird baths and gutters) and avoid being outside when mosquitos are most active — around dusk and the early evening. 

"Before I took this job, I never thought about them breeding in a tire swing or gutters," he said. "But, they can lay 1,000 eggs in a small amount of water in a short amount of time."

This year, . In 2011, there were two cases — one resulting in a fatality. 

"These mosquitos mostly feed on birds," Deikun said. "Really, one in 150 people is exposed to the virus. Those who are really young or old are impacted the most."

For more information, visit the Summit County Public Health website.