West Nile Virus unseen prevention tip: Clean out your gutters!

As mosquitos deliver the deadly West Nile Virus, the key is to reduce the mosquitos' breeding areas of standing water. Above your head at your roof line are gutters with standing water in them if they are clogged. An easy way to reduce the mosquito population is to clean out your gutters and downspouts.

The most recognizable way that summer has descended upon us once again is the reappearance of the pesky mosquito. This year the insect appears with something much scarier than its normal bite though, this year we see West Nile Virus (WNV), a deadly disease being carried in this seemingly harmless insect. There is currently no vaccine against WNV, but there are steps that can be taken to prevent mosquitoes from rallying around your home. Beside the normal precautions of wearing long sleeves and pants as well as using repellants that contain DEET, they're other steps that are usually over looked.

Mosquitoes look for breeding grounds in standing water. To avoid helping mosquitoes breed in your environment the Center for Disease Control along with the National Biological Infrastructure suggest several ways to remove standing water you may not even think about. Flowerpots, pet bowls, swimming pool covers as well as your gutters should be cleaned on a regular basis.

The national rain gutter association, the American Association of Rain Carrying System Installation Specialists (AARCSIS), believes that standing water in gutters and eaves troughs can be a major contributor to WNV, as well. There are many preventive steps that can be taken to reduce the breeding opportunities of these infected mosquitoes.

Your gutters and eaves troughs can be filled with debris that make for the perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes. With autumn right around the corner, leaves along with other debris will be finding a home within your gutters. If you don't look for it, you probably will miss this opportunity to reduce the mosquito's' breeding grounds. There are several ways to prevent clogged gutters. By leaf proofing your gutters and installing big mouth gutter outlets, your problems with clogged gutters will be reduced, if not eliminated. If you do not feel comfortable up on a ladder or on your roof, there are gutter companies that can do this work for you. AARCSIS was founded to promote the professionals who specialize in this kind of work. A clean rain carrying system will not only reduce the mosquito breeding grounds, but also help your gutter system work properly.

WNV first discovered in 1937, in Uganda has spread to the United States. It is carried and spread by mosquitoes. In 1999, 62 cases of severe disease occurred in the New York area, resulting in six deaths. Currently the disease has infected 39 states along with the District of Columbia. 425 people have been infected and are showing symptoms of infection which include, fever, body ache, skin rash, swollen glands, disorientation and convulsions, just to name a few. 20 deaths seem to be attributed to WNV.