University of Colorado at Boulder officials are continuing with their precautions to reduce the risk of exposure to West Nile virus-carrying mosquitoes for students, including those returning this week for the fall 2004 semester.
Recent precipitation in the Boulder area followed by hot and dry conditions has been followed by a rise in the number of Culex mosquitoes -- the type that most commonly carries West Nile Virus, or WNV, according to the Boulder County Health Department.
August typically has the highest transmission rates of WNV in the county by mosquitoes, which are expected to be active for the next several weeks, said Environmental Operations Manager Ed von Bleichert of CU-Boulder's Facilities Management. Only nine cases of WNV have been reported in Boulder County in 2004 -- compared to 421 during all of 2003 -- and no cases have been reported for CU-Boulder students to date this year, he said.
Officials at CU's Facilities Management, Wardenburg Health Center, the Housing Department and University Risk Management have been working closely with the county health department on risk reduction through prevention and education since WNV arrived in Colorado in 2002.
As part of the county's WNV Alert campaign, Wardenburg's Student Wellness Program staff is distributing educational material on ways to reduce risk to the virus, said Wardenburg Student Wellness Program Coordinator Robin Kolble. "One Bite" posters produced by the county health department have been distributed to all resident advisers in the CU residence halls, the athletic department, all building proctors and all Greek fraternity and sorority houses.
Members of the Wellness Program staff also are handing out WNV information and DEET wipes at the Quik Stops in front of Wardenburg and at student orientation sessions on campus this week and at the CU Book Store in the University Memorial Center from Aug. 21 to Aug. 24.
Since repellent containing DEET -- the ingredient proven most effective against biting mosquitoes -- is not appropriate for everyone, individuals are asked to read labeling information before use.
The information on the One Bite poster and in handouts highlight ways to practice "the 4 Ds." They include using DEET or repellent with 2 percent soybean oil; Dress in long sleeves and pants; Dusk-to-Dawn vigilance, which is prime time for virus-carrying mosquitoes; and Drain standing water outside homes.
As they did last year, Facilities Management employees have been taking steps to reduce mosquito exposure on campus. These include eliminating standing water, monitoring water sources for the presence of Culex larvae, treating several campus ponds with a naturally occurring larvicide and monitoring mosquito traps that have been placed on the main, south and east campuses.
WNV is passed from infected birds to humans through mosquito bites. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control, about 20 percent of the people who become infected will develop West Nile fever, which has symptoms that can include fever, headache and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.
The CDC estimates that less than 1 percent of persons infected with WNV will develop a more severe form of disease, including West Nile encephalitis.
To report standing water on campus, contact Facilities Management's Ed von Bleichert at (303) 492-5321 or the Facilities Management service desk at (303) 492-5522. For more information, contact Von Bleichert or Wardenburg's Robin Kolble at (303) 492-8885.
More information on the One Bite campaign and WNV prevention can be accessed on the Boulder County Health Department Web site at .