by Andrew Miller
Thisweek Newspapers

Scott County and the rest of the metro area dodged a "West Nile" bullet this year.

With high temperatures and low rainfall this summer, officials were expecting a surge in West Nile Virus illness.

"Luckily, it didn't pan out" that way in the metro area, said Jim Stark, executive director of the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD), who provided an overview of the agency's 2006 activities to the Scott County Board of Commissioners Nov. 28.

Sixty-five cases of human illness from West Nile Virus, which mainly affects birds and is most commonly transmitted by mosquitoes, had been reported in Minnesota as of Nov. 20, and three of those cases were fatal, according to the MMCD.

Fifteen of those cases were in the metro area, and there were no West Nile Virus illnesses reported in Scott County residents this year, Stark said. This year in the metro area 483 birds tested positive for West Nile Virus, as did 89 mosquito samples.

The numbers are running slightly higher than last year. When MMCD made its report to the county board last year, there had been 42 cases of human illness from West Nile Virus reported in Minnesota, three of which were fatal. Last year also saw no Scott County residents suffering a West Nile Virus-related illness.

MMCD serves the seven-county metro area in controlling mosquito, black fly and tick populations. MMCD's Scott/Carver Operating Facility is located in Jordan and is staffed by five full-time employees and 28 seasonal inspectors.

Lyme disease continues to be the most commonly contracted vector-borne disease in the country, according to the MMCD, and in Minnesota cases of the disease, spread to humans via deer ticks, have increased dramatically in recent years.

Though 2006 tick surveillance data is not yet available, deer ticks have been found in Scott County at very low levels -- in 2005 the MMCD found two deer ticks on two of the 99 mammals the agency collected in Scott County, one in Murphy-Hanrahan Park in Credit River Township, the other in Blakely Township.

In Scott County in 2006 MMCD responded to 159 calls for service or information, and conducted larval and adult mosquito control over more than 11,000 acres. About 2,400 tires, prime breeding ground for mosquitoes, were recycled and collected.

This year the agency delivered its new curriculum, "Mosquito Mania," to about 1,900 elementary students in the Scott County area. An informational video about Lyme disease was created this year and is planned to air on local cable access TV stations.

MMCD's 2007 levy is $16.5 million, a 7.5 percent increase over last year, and Scott County's portion of this is about $700,000. How does this affect homeowners in Scott County? According to Stark, the owner of a home worth $250,000 will pay about $14 in 2007 taxes for mosquito control.

MMCD is governed by a board of 18 county commissioners from the seven-county metro area. Commissioners Jerry Hennen of Shakopee and Barbara Marschall of Prior Lake represent Scott County on the board.

Andrew Miller is at savage.thisweek@ecm-inc.com.