Politics & Government

Local West Nile Case Prompts Precautions

An e-mail circulating among Westchase Colts parents this week asks for parents to take precautions when bringing their kids out to the games.

As players and cheerleaders for area teams like the Westchase Colts gear up for football games this weekend, parents are being asked to be extra cautions when it comes to mosquito repellent after a reported case of West Nile Virus was found near Lowry Elementary School.

Last week Hillsborough County Mosquito Control continued extra precautions as the county's mosquito helicopter dropped thousands of pounds of insecticide in the northwest part of the county, near Lowry Elementary School, according to Bay News 9.

An e-mail began circulating among Westchase Colts parents this week asking for parents to take the following precautions when bringing their kids out to the games.

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On Saturday, The Westchase Colts take on The Cardinals at Skyway Park, 3901 George Rd, Tampa, 33634. For game times visit: http://www.westchasecolts.com

Suggestions include:

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  • CLOTHING: If you must be outside when mosquitoes are active, cover up. Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and long sleeves.
  • REPELLENT: Apply mosquito repellent to bare skin and clothing. Always use repellents according to the label. Repellents with DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, and IR3535 are effective.Use mosquito netting to protect children younger than 2 months.Keep mosquitoes out of your house.Drain standing water to stop mosquitoes from multiplying.
  • DISCARD: Old tires, drums, bottles, cans, pots and pans, broken appliances and other items that aren’t being used
  • EMPTY and CLEAN: Birdbaths and pet’s water bowls at least once or twice a weekPROTECT: Boats and vehicles from rain with tarps that don’t accumulate water
  • MAINTAIN: The water balance (pool chemistry) of swimming pools. Empty plastic swimming pools when not in use.For more information on symptoms, visit the Centers for Disease Control website.


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