Fatal Case of West Nile Virus Reported in Bay County, Florida

Florida's first case of West Nile Virus for 2007 was in Bay County. The Health Department doesn't give out vital statistics on the victims, only cause of death- which was encephalitis of the brain. A second case has been confirmed by the Bay County Health Department since the report of the fatality. About one person in five infected will develop flu-like symptoms, few cases result in death.

C.L. Norton's- 'Handbook of Florida' circa 1880 advised newcomers at the beach to remain covered in woolen garments, camels hair hosiery, high shoes, canvas and leather leggings for protection against fleas, red bugs and wood ticks.

It's common to see a family on the beach in photographs of that era fully clothed from head to toe. Residents and visitors, today, are being urged by officials to cover up between dusk and dawn to protect from mosquito bites.

Most West Nile Virus outbreaks from mosquito bites are reported Mid-August through autumn. Frequent thunderstorms, common this time of year in Florida, have increased the mosquito population according to the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC reports West Nile cases in United States are four times higher than last year.

Bay County Mosquito Control has a Gambusia project in the works to combat mosquito attacks. Gambusia are tiny, freshwater fish that consume vast quantities of mosquito larvae. The gambusia are dumped in retention ponds, swampy areas and ditches, being most at home in stagnant water, where mosquitoes often breed.

Gambusia are a good alternative to chemical sprays in cost to a county's budget and the air we breath. One drawback-the Gambusia has an insatiable appetite for other fish and frog eggs. You wouldn't want to place them in your stocked goldfish pond. For more information on organic mosquito control- www.associatedcontent.com/article/309684/organic_mosquito_control.html

USDA's Agricultural Research Service scientific team has successfully extracted a natural insect repellent from American and Japanese Beautyberry bushes. Using a traditional folk remedy, the product made with a compound from the berries, is equally effective against ticks.

Geraniol is a botanical repellent derived from lemon grass and other natural ingredients, discovered at University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. BugBand Inc. has sent hundreds of the Geraniol-based scented plastic bracelets to ground troops in the Persian Gulf to battle sand fleas.

Organic products are the fastest growing segment of the agricultural market. U.S. Department of Agriculture says organic sales grew 22% last year. A product labeled 'organic' as opposed to '100% organic' can have up to five per cent of its weight in non-organic ingredients. The USDA has a "national list" of approved non-organic substances.

June of 2007- USDA added 38 non-organic acceptable ingredients to the list. The food manufacturers request to use if an organic version is not available. Organic Consumers Association finds some of the additions to the list "outrageous" such as fish oil and sausage casings.

We should just stick to "mosquito plants" to deter the pests. Catnip planted along the walkways and geraniums in window boxes. We could invest in mosquito ring tones, the teenagers use that no one over 30 can hear, but have it to a frequency that blasts only the mosquitoes away.