With summer fast approaching, mosquito season is right around the corner. With a new virus making international headlines, Diane Devlin of Wayne County Public Health gave a presentation about mosquito protection at the quarterly Local Emergency Planning Committee meeting on Thursday.

According to Devlin, mosquitoes lay their eggs in, or near, standing water. The eggs then hatch within 24 to 48 hours. Devlin said that to help alleviate the problem, everyone should try to eliminate any standing water on their property, which includes water in gutters, birdbaths, on top of pool covers and in old tires.

By calling 1-888-364-4723 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, Devlin noted that anyone can receive two free pesticide dunks which can be placed in water to help prevent mosquito breeding. Only two will be provided for free, but the dunks can be purchased at any local hardware store.

Other steps that Devlin said can be taken to prevent mosquito bites is to cover skin completely and wear repellents that contain DEET. Children older than two months and pregnant women can safely wear those types of repellent, according to Devlin.

There are currently three diseases spread by mosquitoes that the Department of Public Health is monitoring: Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), West Nile virus and the Zika Virus.

The Zika Virus has become a problem recently in Central America, the Caribbean Islands and Northern South America. It’s spread through mosquito bites, pregnancy or sexual contact. Symptoms for Zika include a mild fever or rash. The illness is mild and typically only lasts up to week. Death caused by Zika Virus is rare.

The primary concern for Zika Virus is the effect it has on pregnant women. It can lead to stillborn births or life-threatening birth defects in infants. As part of the Zika Virus monitoring, all pregnant women who travel to the affected areas are required to be tested, along with anyone who has sexual contact with someone from the affected areas.

Zika has yet to spread to the United States, but it is expected to, particularly in the south.

EEE is rare among humans, but it is deadly. Out of the seven reported cases of infected humans in NYS since 1971, five of them died. There have been no human infections of EEE in Wayne County, but since 2014, six unvaccinated horses have died. There is a vaccination available for horses, but a vaccination for humans has yet to be developed.

West Nile virus is the most widespread mosquito-related disease in New York State. Devlin said that one mosquito pool tested positive for West Nile in September of 2015. Symptoms include a headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea or rash, and the symptoms can last for weeks or months. The disease mostly infects birds, and humans typically have a complete recovery from West Nile.

To help monitor and control these diseases, Devlin said that WCPH will be doing a “Fight the Bite” campaign, along with mosquito trapping and surveillance in Rose, Galen and Macedon. For the Zika Virus, they are authorizing testing for the disease, developing a Zika Action Plan and educating the public about the disease.