Officials warn of spring, summer dangers

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 | 9:48 a.m.

As the temperature warms up, local health and vector control officials warn people to avoid spring and summer dangers by drinking plenty of water, wearing sun screen and either avoiding or exterminating pests.

"As people exercise, they get hotter, perspire more and lose water that has to be replenished," Clark County Health District spokeswoman Jennifer Sizemore said. "Water is the best, but, depending on your level of activity, you also may need to replace salt. Sports drinks address that."

She said, while beer, other alcohol and sodas with caffeine may seem refreshing they can dehydrate people.

Also, Sizemore said, people who hike need to plan in advance by bringing along plenty of water and wearing loose-fitting, light-colored clothing that covers as much skin as possible. Whether at the mountains, beach or poolside, use of a sun screen with a high SPF rating is urged.

"Also people who go to Mt. Charleston as the weather warms up need to remember that animals have tested positive for the plague and they need to avoid all wild animals or dead animals," Sizemore said.

It is also best to avoid the creepy, crawling, stinging flying things, says Richard Hicks, Clark County's vector control officer.

"It is always hard to predict what is going to happen as far as insect problems, but we had a wetter than normal winter so there is a lot of vegetation and that could cause the grasshopper population increase, and that can be a nuisance," Hicks said, noting there are more serious problems too.

"As far as the Africanized Honey Bees are concerned, we've already received calls and reports of swarms. They tend to move around with good weather."

While the so-called "killer bees" are frightening, Hick said there are other insects that are of more immediate concern.

"Mosquitos are of more concern to us because they transmit diseases such as West Nile Virus and Western Equine Encephalitis," he said.

"We monitor known mosquito breeding areas and stock them with mosquito fish (to eat mosquito eggs). Stagnant pools at vacant houses also are a problem and we depend on calls from neighbors to alert us about them."

Hicks said the imported fire ant also is a concern even though it is not established locally and is not widespread or even common.

"We've made some collections of the ants and so far we're OK," Hicks said about the threat of imported fire ants getting a foothold locally. "There are toxic baits available in granular form to control them."

Hicks said spiders, such as the black widow and desert recluse, are a concern as the weather warms up, but he said those creatures also are beneficial because they eat a lot of pesky insects.

"People just don't tolerate spiders," Hicks said. "In the evening, the black widow is fairly easy to see and can be killed with an aerosol insecticide. Breaking the web will not get rid of them. They'll just rebuild."

People with vector control problems can call the agency at (702) 455-7543.

Sizemore said food safety also is another warm weather issue, warning that meats should be kept refrigerated until they are ready to hit the grill.

"You have to avoid leaving food like potato salad out in the hot sun," she said. "And, with chicken and hamburgers, it is best to use separate plates and avoid cross-contaminating (uncooked) meat with vegetables because of the risk of e-coli and salmonella."

For additional tips on preparing for extreme heat conditions, Sizemore recommends the fact sheet at the Clark County Health District's website, cchd.org.