Mosquito spraying Wednesday in Baltimore County after first West Nile Virus case

BALTIMORE -- The Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Baltimore County Health Department are collaborating to control mosquitoes in the area.

Crews will spray a permethrin-based solution used to control mosquitoes in Parkville near Harford Road and Edgewood Avenue. The spray is EPA-approved and isn't known to be unsafe to humans. The MDA encourages people to stay inside while the spraying happens, which is scheduled to start after 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

"It is safe, and we do try to spray when there's as little activity as possible. We do encourage folks not to be outside," Sec. Kevin Atticks of the Maryland Department of Agriculture said.

The precautions come after an adult from the Baltimore area tested positive for West Nile Virus late last month, the first confirmed human case in Maryland this year.

The MDA recommends avoiding outdoor activities during mosquito spraying and suggests precautions to minimize exposure to mosquito bites:

• Wear long, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing
• Wear insect repellents according to product labels
• Avoid mosquito-infested areas during prime periods of activity (between dusk and dawn)
• Install, inspect, and repair window and door screens in homes and stables
• Regularly clean bird baths and bowls for pet food and water
• Remove or empty all water-holding containers

Any standing water should be discarded because that's where mosquitos breed.

West Nile Virus 

affects the nervous system, though most infected people will have no symptoms. It is spread to humans through infected mosquitoes. Symptoms can include fever, headache, body aches, and an occasional rash.

The MDA says this is a preventable disease if the mosquito population can be controlled.

"It's a disease that if you can prevent it, if you can avoid it, if you can prevent it, you should, and we should, and that's why the state's involved in mosquito population," Atticks concluded.

Additional updates about spraying for mosquitos can be found on the MDA's Facebook page.