密歇根新闻广播 密州今夏湿热蚊子多 增大西尼罗病毒爆发可能性

The wetter the summer, the more mosquitos you're likely to find outside.

In hot, dry summers, like the summer we are having now, there are fewer mosquitoes. But the mosquitos that are around pose a greater threat. That's because West Nile virus spreads more easily in warm weather. This summer Michigan State University has predicted an outbreak of West Nile in Michigan.

Ken¹ Wuerfel is co-owner of the pest control company Mosquito Squad². Wuerfel says he doesn't usually get as many calls when it's a hot, dry summer like this one.

There aren't as many mosquitoes out there. But while some species of mosquitoes suffer in the heat, the one that carries West Nile virus thrives.

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It's a hardy³ little mosquito called Culex pipiens and it likes urban areas with standing⁴ water. Wuerfel says they breed in everything from large retention⁵ ponds to the smallest pooling water you can find.

"If you have a water bottle and you take the cap and give it a toss and it happens to land cup side up, that little bottle cap a mosquito could—if it filled with water—lay a raft of 300 eggs," says Wuerfel.

It's not just the army of Culex mosquitoes that makes summers like this bad for West Nile. Ned Walker researches mosquito-borne diseases at Michigan State University. He says the hot weather also helps the virus spread.

"Mosquitos are animals. They're cold blooded, and so the warmer it is, the faster things happen," says Walker. "And mosquitos get the virus infection by feeding on infected birds and then once a mosquito has gotten a blood meal from an infected bird, the virus has to grow inside the body of the mosquito. And it grows faster when it's warmer."

Every year Walker's team at MSU tries to predict West Nile outbreaks based on weather patterns. He says this season closely resembles the summer of 2012. That year we saw the most deaths from West Nile in U.S. history. Out of more than 5,000 cases, roughly 280 people died.

Because the Culex mosquito likes urban areas, you're safer in the woods than you are in the city. In fact, Walker says most people probably get West Nile in their own homes. He nicknames Culex pipiens the "Northern house mosquito."

"It's very good at sneaking⁶ into houses. For example, it's common for people to leave a back door propped⁷ open if they're say barbecuing on a back deck and they'll leave the door open. Or if they want their dog to be able to run in and out they'll just leave a door open or maybe open a window. Or perhaps the screens aren't repaired properly and there's holes in screens. Things like that that allow those mosquitoes to come in doors," says Walker.

Walker says they also bite very late at night.

"So it's not the typical time people put on repellant. For example, I don't know anyone who puts on mosquito repellant right before they go to bed," he says.

So how do you fight such a stealthy, tough mosquito?

Walker says the best way is through community-wide control.

"You can't dump out an abandoned swimming pool and you can't empty out thousands of street catch basins, but you can treat them. And there are communities that have adopted programs like this," he says.

According to the Michigan Mosquito Control Association, only Bay, Midland, Saginaw, and Tuscola counties, and about 10 townships, have treatment programs.

Tom Putt of the association says there used to be a lot more 10 years ago, but cities and towns don't have the money for that anymore.

Ned Walker says the few municipalities that have mosquito programs are often the only ones that send MSU mosquitoes for testing. Walker says even high risk areas like Grand Rapids and Detroit don't report.

"Unfortunately without good surveillance, we can't make strong statements about the risk, but we do have this forecast model and that's been reliable so far," he says.

Ken Wuerfel of the Mosquito Squad says there are some things you can do to keep Culex mosquitoes from breeding. Dump out any standing water in your yard, clean your gutters⁸, and get rid of yard waste that could hold water. There are more tips from Mosquito Squad here.

Blue jays and crows are often susceptible⁹ to the disease. So if you see a freshly dead crow or blue jay in your yard, call the Michigan Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Disease Lab at 517-336-5030.

Fortunately, according to the Centers for Disease Control, 70 to 80% of people who contract the virus don't have any symptoms.

1 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

2 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

3 hardy   

adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的

参考例句：

• The kind of plant is a hardy annual.这种植物是耐寒的一年生植物。
• He is a hardy person.他是一个能吃苦耐劳的人。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 retention   

n.保留，保持，保持力，记忆力

参考例句：

• They advocate the retention of our nuclear power plants.他们主张保留我们的核电厂。
• His retention of energy at this hour is really surprising.人们惊叹他在这个时候还能保持如此旺盛的精力。

6 sneaking   

a.秘密的，不公开的

参考例句：

• She had always had a sneaking affection for him. 以前她一直暗暗倾心于他。
• She ducked the interviewers by sneaking out the back door. 她从后门偷偷溜走，躲开采访者。

7 propped   

支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sat propped up in the bed by pillows. 他靠着枕头坐在床上。
• This fence should be propped up. 这栅栏该用东西支一支。

8 gutters   

（路边）排水沟( gutter的名词复数 )； 阴沟； （屋顶的）天沟； 贫贱的境地

参考例句：

• Gutters lead the water into the ditch. 排水沟把水排到这条水沟里。
• They were born, they grew up in the gutters. 他们生了下来，以后就在街头长大。

9 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。