City efforts are coordinated with the Tarrant County Public Health Department and the Texas Department of Health and primarily focus on public education/information, prevention, and mosquito surveillance.

In accordance with the Texas Department of Health’s recent guidelines regarding dead bird sampling, and since West Nile Virus has already been detected in our county, the City of Arlington is not collecting or accepting dead bird samples for testing at this time. The City’s West Nile Virus efforts concentrate on the source of the threat to humans which are mosquitoes. To this end, the City is participating in the Mosquito Surveillance Project monitored by the Tarrant County Public Health Department. This project takes a bi-weekly sampling of mosquitoes from various locations throughout the city and tests them for West Nile Virus.

Birds infected with West Nile Virus do not constitute a health threat to humans. The City of Arlington will no longer be picking up dead birds found in the city. If you find a dead bird on your property, please dispose of it by placing them in the garbage. There is no evidence that West Nile Virus can be spread by contact with a dead bird. However, avoid contact with your bare hands when you are disposing of the bird. If possible, wear gloves and wash your hands with soap and water afterwards.

Spraying of Mosquitoes

The City has not sprayed for mosquitoes since the early 1990’s because of the ineffectiveness of insecticide and the other negative impacts of this method of mosquito control. Spraying chemicals along the streets of Arlington will not rid the city of mosquitoes. In order for insecticide to kill adult mosquitoes the chemical actually has to make contact with the insect. This will do little to kill mosquitoes hiding in grass, bushes, trees, creeks, channels, and backyards. Most mosquito populations breed in residential backyards. Eliminating mosquitoes at their source by removing stagnant water, practicing personal protection, and larvaciding areas unable to be drained are the most effective ways of reducing the mosquito population.

The Community Services Department will continue to provide you with a variety of information concerning West Nile Virus, which you may share with family, friends and other groups in your neighborhood. Public education is the focus of the City of Arlington’s West Nile Virus effort. We need your help in spreading the word.