Page 446 - City of Arlington FY19 Adopted Operating Budget

Public Safety

Goal 1: Utilize Targeted Initiatives and Industry
Best Practices and Policies to Foster a Safe Environment
Objective 2: Protect Public Health
Project Performance Measure(s) City Service Team (Department)
Core Mosquito Surveillance Set a surveillance trap within a quarter mile Economic Development and
PS of a confirmed human West Nile Virus case Capital Investment (CDP)
1.2.1 within the next trap setting cycle
Summary:

West Nile Virus (WNV) is an endemic public health Target Target FY FY
threat to our community. In 2016 there were nine WNV Measure 2017 2018
deaths in Arlington. Zika virus, another mosquito Actual Actual
transmitted disease, also struck in 2016 with outbreaks Respond to complaints 90% 100% 80%
worldwide. Local transmission of Zika was established in within one business
Florida and South Texas and imported cases of Zika day
occurred in Arlington and other North Texas cities. Set a surveillance trap 100% NA 100%
within a quarter mile of
The City of Arlington’s Integrated Mosquito a confirmed human
Management Program (IMMP) is designed to reduce the West Nile Virus case
threat of all mosquito borne illnesses, including WNV upon notification from
and Zika, through preparedness, public education, Health Authority
surveillance activities and targeted risk mitigation. As
with any IMMP, preventing adult mosquitos from In response to the increased complaints, staff responded by
emerging is always the primary focus; however, targeted increasing our public health education efforts. In August, we
ground spraying of adult mosquitos is also a critical utilized the Neighborhood Network to reach homeowners'
element to prevent the spread of disease. associations and other citizen groups to offer mosquito
reduction tips and resources via presentations at
Trapping is the surveillance method used to quantify neighborhood meetings. Staff set up resource booths at the
human risk by determining localized vector presence and Grace Place Health Fair and the City of Arlington Health Fair.
abundance as well as identifying WNV infected We utilized Arlington's NextDoor platform to make mosquito
mosquitos. Each week during our region’s traditional prevention materials available for citizens to pick up from
mosquito season (April through November), 15 traps are City Hall distributing to nearly 350 people.
set, collected and prepared for the analysis performed
by Tarrant County Public Health Labs. When a trap Staff continued weekly mosquito surveillance through testing
results in a positive WNV carrying mosquito, targeted (180 gravid traps and 36 BG traps). Thirty‐eight trap samples
ground spraying/adulticide is conducted in a half‐mile tested positive for WNV during the 4 quarter. Our
th
area surrounding the location of the trap. This response contractor conducted targeted ground spraying in response
plan involves immediate coordination with several COA to the WNV positive traps and continued to provide
Departments to facilitate notification to the effected larviciding services. Health Services staff larvicided 110
neighborhoods and the third‐party contractor who breeding sites.
conducts the spray mission.
In April 2018, Planning and Development Services (PDS) and
Update: Public Works and Transportation (PWT) partnered to create a
From July to September, Health staff investigated 152 joint larviciding pilot program. The inspectors in the
mosquito complaints which is a 162% increase in Stormwater Division treated 3,717 storm inlets and culverts
complaint volume for the same time over the last three‐ in FY 2018, with 1,992 of those treatment applications
year average. Due to the volume of complaints, the occurring in the 4 quarter.
th
th
response time dropped to 50% during the 4 quarter FY
2018 and decreased the FY 2018 Actual to 80%. This was Two human WNV cases were reported, one neuroinvasive
primarily due to significant flooding events and general and one febrile. There were no WNV deaths reported and no
weather patterns conducive to mosquito breeding. cases of other mosquito borne disease reported.

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