Swampy pools treated for virus-bearing mosquitos

Molly Ball

Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2004 | 8:52 a.m.

Seeking to stop the spread of West Nile virus, newly formed teams of public works and health officials on Monday visited swampy swimming pools around the area to treat them with pellets that kill mosquito larvae, Clark County Health District spokesman David Tonelli said.

In their first day of joint operations, the teams visited about 16 backyard pools in Blue Diamond, Spring Valley and Old Henderson. The teams were let onto the property to treat more than half of the pools.

"They were able to treat a number of pools, and they did observe mosquito larvae in at least one of the pools," Tonelli said.

Some pools were so green with algae that mosquito larvae, if present, could not have been seen, he added. Officials are targeting abandoned, overgrown pools to prevent mosquitoes, which infect humans with the virus, from breeding.

In the other cases, where the workers were refused entry or found no one home, they left notice that they would return in 48 hours and enter the property without permission. That could include cutting locks if necessary, Tonelli said.

Under Nevada statutes, health officials may obtain court orders to enter private property to abate nuisances.

Five cases of humans getting sick from West Nile have been recorded in Nevada, including two cases reported last week that have not yet been confirmed by a federal laboratory.