State Health Department Giving Grants To Control West Nile

Culex Tarsalis mosquitoes like this transmit West Nile Virus
Culex Tarsalis mosquitoes like this transmit West Nile Virus

The South Dakota Department of Health is giving cities, counties and tribes $500 thousand dollars in grants for mosquito control and the prevention of West Nile Virus. Sue Gannon is the state West Nile Coordinator, and she says the money will be used to boost the current programs that localities already have in place…

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Gannon says that cities and counties do different things to control the mosquito populations, such as spraying or using larvicides. Since the first human case of the virus was first reported in 2002, South Dakota has reported over 2,000 cases in every county, including 32 deaths…

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She says the individual grants could range from $500 dollars to $30,000 dollars, and the amount will be determined based upon the population within the county, city, or tribe and the prevalence of West Nile Virus. The deadline for submitting an application, which can be found on the department’s WNV website, is June 8th.