July 11, 2000
MOSQUITO SURVEILLANCE AND CONTROL GRANTS ANNOUNCED
SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Public Health has awarded two-year grants totaling $395,417 to 19 local health departments for surveillance and control of Asian tiger mosquitoes and other container-breeding mosquitoes.
"The grants will help local health departments develop and administer vector control programs that will be used to evaluate and reduce the threat to the public's health from viruses carried by mosquitoes," said Dr. John R. Lumpkin, state public health director.
Surveillance and control efforts include identification of sites where tires have been stored or discarded, cleanup of noncommerical tire sites, legal action to force cleanups and sampling mosquitoes found in tires for the presence of viruses.
The grant money comes from the Department's share of the state's Used Tire Management Fund, which is generated by a $1 per new tire fee. The awards are for fiscal years 2001 and 2002 and run from July 1, 2000, through June 30, 2002.
Grants are awarded based on several factors, including the presence of the Asian tiger mosquito, large or numerous used tire sites, past cases of mosquito-borne encephalitis, geographic region and population size.
Following is a list of grant recipients and amounts:
| Champaign-Urbana Public Health District | $11,326 |
| Chicago Department of Public Health | 84,000 |
| East Side Health District | 36,000 |
| Effingham County Health Department | 10,080 |
| Egyptian Health Department | 14,400 |
| Greene County Health Department | 10,000 |
| Jasper County Health Department | 19,800 |
| Jefferson County Health Department | 7,200 |
| Kankakee County Health Department | 17,647 |
| LaSalle County Health Department | 22,334 |
| Lawrence County Health Department | 10,000 |
| Macoupin County Health Department | 18,000 |
| Madison County Health Department | 18,000 |
| Marion County Health Department | 4,500 |
| McHenry County Health Department | 6,744 |
| Peoria City/County Health Department | 18,000 |
| St. Clair County Health Department | 18,000 |
| Southern Seven Health Department | 51,386 |
| Tazewell County Health Department | 18,000 |
| TOTAL | $395,417 |
The Asian tiger mosquito has been identified in 18 Illinois counties – Alexander, Cook, Gallatin, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Kankakee, Macoupin, Madison, Massac, Peoria, Pulaski, Randolph, Richland, St. Clair, Union and Williamson. It is a persistent and aggressive daytime-biting mosquito that breeds in containers that hold water, such as tires, cans and yard ornaments.
The Asian tiger mosquito, which arrived in the United States in 1985, apparently in used tires shipped from Asia, has been found to carry viruses that can be transmitted to humans, although there are no cases of the Asian tiger mosquito spreading disease to a human in the continental United States.
Other container-breeding mosquitoes, such as the tree-hole mosquito and the northern house mosquito, are known to transmit diseases to humans. California (La Crosse) encephalitis is spread by the tree-hole mosquito and St. Louis encephalitis is transmitted by the northern house mosquito.
California and St. Louis encephalitis are serious diseases that affect the brain. California encephalitis occurs more often in children, while St. Louis encephalitis is more common among older adults. Most victims recover fully, although some may suffer permanent neurological damage.
There were three confirmed cases of California encephalitis reported in Illinois last year, one each in LaSalle, Peoria and Winnebago counties, but no cases of St. Louis encephalitis.
Symptoms of both diseases are similar and usually begin five to 15 days following the bite of an infected mosquito. The symptoms range from a slight fever or headache to rapid onset of severe headache, high fever, muscle aches, stiffness in the back of the neck and disorientation.
The tree-hole mosquito is infected with California encephalitis virus by feeding on infected small mammals or when an infected female mosquito transmits the infection to her offspring. The house mosquito is infected with St. Louis encephalitis by feeding on birds that carry the virus.
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Illinois Department
of Public Health 535 West Jefferson Street Springfield, Illinois 62761 Phone 217-782-4977 Fax 217-782-3987 TTY 800-547-0466 Questions or Comments |