Mayor Marco Panieri took stock with the competent offices regarding the actions to combat the circulation of the West Nile virus, outlining the current situation and prevention activities, ascertaining the work done and the readiness of the administrative machine in relation to this aspect.
The actions implemented by the Municipality of Imola, as in the past weeks, have been carried out in compliance with the directives of the Emilia-Romagna Region, and in constant contact and comparison with the ASL of Imola – Public Health Department.
The interventions consist of:
1) Preventive larvicidal treatment of all approximately 20,000 manholes and drains on roadsareas and public buildings for the preventive fight against the tiger mosquito and the common mosquito (on which the transmission of the West Nile virus depends), which have in water collections such as wells, saucers, etc. the preferred place for oviposition and larval development. For this intervention, a liquid silicone product has been used for some years which has given excellent results in terms of efficacy, duration (at least 3 weeks) and also because it does not select forms of mosquito resistant to the classic insecticide products used up to now (mainly IGR growth regulator products). 6 seasonal treatment cycles are planned, approximately from the end of April depending on the seasonal trend. The Region requires an efficacy threshold of 95%, i.e. a maximum of 5 incorrectly treated manholes out of 100 samples is permitted. A company in charge has the task of checking at least 200 wells for each treatment cycle (random and surprise in different areas of the city and the countryside). The effectiveness of these treatments in the last cycle carried out was 97.5%.
2) Weekly treatment of water collections in drainage channels in the forest with organic product (Bacillus Thuringiensis isr.) for the control of culex mosquitoes (responsible for the transmission of West Nile Virus) and native floodplain mosquitoes. There is a system of mapping water pools on some drainage channels for a radius of one kilometre upstream and downstream of the inhabited centres of the countryside.
3) i Adulticidal treatments are only foreseen for interventions following cases of Dengue and Chikungunja according to a protocol established by the Regionfollowing authorization from the local USL. They can also be carried out in limited environments such as schools or nurseries, but always when schools are closed and always with authorization from the USL.
4) the cost sustained by the Municipality exceeds 30,000 euros.
5) ordinance no. 4 of 16/4/2024 was also issued this year which makes mosquito control mandatory for citizens toowith an indication of all the actions to be implemented in their own areas, giving priority to larvicidal interventions. Ordinance no. 15 of 16/7/24 is also in force which makes anti-drug treatments mandatory in areas where an evening gathering of more than 200 people is expected on the occasion of various events.