EPHRATA - Grant County Mosquito Control District No. 1 has been notified that nine mosquito samples submitted for testing were positive for West Nile Virus, the first detection of the virus in Grant County this year.

The good news is that, to date, there have been no human, bird, or horse cases in Washington State.

The positive samples were found in the north Potholes area, south of Moses Lake. Statewide in 2014 there have been 28 positive mosquito samples.

The positive samples indicate the virus is present in Grant County. The Health District advises residents take steps to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. They include:

• Stay indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
• Wear a long sleeve shirt, long pants, and a hat when going into mosquito-infested areas, such as wetlands or woods.
• Use mosquito repellant when necessary. Take special care when using it on children. Mosquito repellents with the active ingredients DEET, Picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus work best for protection against mosquitoes.

The Health District also advises residents to eliminate mosquito breeding areas by taking these steps:

• Empty or discard anything that holds standing water- bottles, cans, old tires, buckets, plastic covers and toys.
• Change water in birdbaths, fountains, wading pools and animal troughs at least twice each week.
• Make sure roof gutters drain properly, and clean clogged gutters in the spring and fall.
• Fix leaky outdoor faucets and sprinklers.

In addition to mosquito surveillance by Grant County Mosquito Control District No. 1, there is ongoing surveillance of the virus in dead birds.

You can report a dead bird by calling the Grant County Health District at (509)-754-6060 or online at www.granthealth.org/westnilevirus.html.