What's the Buzz?

It’s hard to believe it has almost been two months since I started my summer job at the Perth District Health Unit. My name is Joanna and I’m spending my summer as a public health employee as the West Nile Virus student.

To be honest with you, I had no idea what to expect for my summer job. However, after getting acquainted with the program and public health, I’ve quickly eased into it. This summer, I’ll be responsible for three main areas – bird surveillance, mosquito trapping and public education. These three areas allow us to track West Nile Virus in the community and bring awareness to people about cleaning up and covering up.

I’ve picked up my fair share of dead crows and blue jays and I’ve set a number of traps, but I haven’t come across any WNV activity in Stratford, St. Marys or across Perth County as of yet. Hopefully this means that you are all cleaning up standing water so that mosquitoes can’t breed! Even though the hype has gone down somewhat and you may think West Nile Virus isn’t a big threat, it’s a good idea to keep protecting yourself.

But back to the bird pick up…I have to admit I was unsure about how the dead bird collection would go. Picking up dead birds doesn’t sound like the most glamorous of summer jobs! But it’s not that bad! It’s simple and a great way to detect the first signs of WNV in a region. Some people are disgusted by the thought of picking up a dead bird. I just tell myself I am doing a good duty for my cities and county and may possibly be saving someone’s life. Okay…so I may be a bit overdramatic! You can’t get WNV from a bird so it isn’t that dangerous of a deed.

Over the next while I will keep you posted on what’s happening in the County and entertain you with tales of trapping so keep on reading. Until next time...remember to clean up and cover up!

Joanna