Trafford Residents Undertake Monitoring of Local West Nile Virus

Just in time for the mosquito season to arrive in Westmoreland County, there are new staff members overseeing the surveillance of those insects for the West Nile virus that they may spread.

Trafford’s Christina Edwards-McKune boarded on May 9 as a new West Nile virus program technician in the Hempfield-based Westmoreland Conservation Area.

Most days she is busy checking out mosquito traps located in about 60 areas of established concern.

According to Greg Phillips, District Manager and CEO of the Protected Area, traps “tend to be more urban, with gutters and stagnant waters”-a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Each week, Edwards-McCune sets at least 15 traps. It usually catches 50-100 mosquitoes in 24 hours. The resulting mosquito samples are sent to the state’s Environmental Protection Agency to see if they are positive for West Nile virus infection.

“If you get positive while collecting mosquitoes, set up another trap nearby,” she said.

She deploys two types of traps. The Gravid Trap uses stagnant “bait” water and a battery-powered fan to “collect blood meals and adult female mosquitoes that are about to lay eggs,” she said.

BG Sentinel traps are set up to collect mosquito species that are looking for blood meals with aggressive human bites, such as Asian tiger breeds. Edwards-McCune explained that they are fed with dry ice to mimic the carbon dioxide emitted by humans.

Last year, three mosquito samples collected in Westmoreland County from May to early October were tested positive for West Nile virus. For the third consecutive year, no human cases of this disease were reported in the county.

Most people infected with West Nile virus As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points out, do not develop symptoms. In more severe cases, hospitalization and respiratory assistance may be required. Westnile encephalitis or meningitis can cause high fever, stupor, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, cramps, weakness, and paralysis.

Edwards-McCune also collects samples of mites that are tested for the presence of Lyme disease. Three Westmoreland tick samples tested positive for Lyme disease in 2021.

According to the State Department Lyme disease It can cause flu-like symptoms and rashes in the early stages, but can progress to arthritis, neurological, and cardiac symptoms if left untreated.

Edwards-McCune filled a slot that remained open when his predecessor took on a job at an engineering company.

From the West Nile fever standpoint, it is also necessary to educate residents on how to reduce mosquito and tick populations, for example by collecting rainwater and recycling waste tires that can be a shelter for mosquitoes. Last year, the West Nile Virus Program sponsored an information booth at the West Moreland Fair and the Rigonia Flower Show. We have also partnered with Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling to collect over 800 tires.

Edwards-McCune holds a degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, California. She brings experience in her role as an aide to a fishery biologist in the southwestern part of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. She previously worked as a fish and wildlife engineer at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Ligonier residents oversee sabo

Samantha Dar of Ligonier is another new member of the protected area staff. She took on the role of a sabo expert, a job opened through a series of promotions triggered by the retirement of agricultural engineer Dan Griffith.

Erosion-related tasks include construction plan reviews and construction site inspections to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to control soil erosion and stormwater.

Dull she is cutting her job for her. “There are so many projects and planning permits,” Philips said. “There is a lot to do.”

Dal is a 2019 environmental science graduate of the University of Arizona working to earn a master’s degree in geotechnical engineering from the University of Arizona.

She previously engaged in similar conservation work in Indiana County and tested water samples according to federal environmental protection standards.

visit westmorelandconservation.org Learn about protected area programs and services.