Fourth case of West Nile confirmed in Columbia. Here’s what the city is doing

A fourth case of West Nile virus has been confirmed in Columbia, less than a week after two other cases were confirmed, the city said in a release Saturday.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control confirmed the virus was found in a dead bird on Heidt Street in the Waverly Historic District, the Columbia Police Department said in a release. Two other cases were confirmed last week, and the city confirmed its first case of the virus in late August.

Crews from the city were to spray in the area on Sunday to limit new mosquitoes from hatching; continue source reduction efforts for all possible breeding sites; and set mosquito surveillance traps in the affected area, which is a half-mile radius from where the bird was found, to test the mosquito population for the prevalence of the virus.

On Monday, city crews will begin spraying for adult mosquitoes from midnight to dawn Tuesday, and will continue spraying throughout the day Tuesday, according to the release.

Any city residents allergic to the products permethrin or tau-fluvalinate are asked to notify Vector Control staff by calling the city’s Code Enforcement Division at 803-545-4229.

Most people infected with West Nile virus do not have symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About one in five people who are infected develop a fever and other symptoms, and about one out of of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness, the CDC reports.

City officials provided the following list of preventative measures to reduce the threat of West Nile from the mosquito population:

• Use, according to the label instructions, EPA-registered insect repellents that contain DEET, Picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
  
  
• Clear drainage ditches of debris and weeds.
  
  
• Pack tree holes with sand.
  
  
• Clean clogged roof gutters.
  
  
• Keep boats overturned, drained or covered (covers should not collect water).
  
  Stock ornamental ponds and water gardens with top-feeding minnows.
  
  
• Properly maintain swimming pools.
  
  
• Change the water in pet dishes, birdbaths and containers used to root plants at least once a week.
  
  
• Make sure there are screens on rain barrels and use the water as soon as possible.
  
  
  
  

This story was originally published September 23, 2018 at 8:38 AM.