BROWNSVILLE, Texas (April 26, 2017) – The City of Brownsville Public Health & Wellness Department was awarded $15,311 in U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for the Pro-Mist®, a state-of-the-art high performance Ultra Low Volume (ULV) sprayer to enhance its vector control efforts.

The Public Health & Wellness Department’s Vector Control Division is dedicated to monitoring and controlling vectors – insects, arthropods, rodents or other animals capable of harboring or transmitting the causative agents of human disease, or causing human discomfort or injury.

Vector Control Division inspectors conduct year-round surveillance to mitigate the spread of vector-borne diseases, including Chikungunya, Dengue fever, West Nile fever and Zika. Measures include:

• monitoring of mosquito populations using traps strategically placed throughout the city;
• inspecting and treating the city’s stormwater system, including drains, ditches and gutters;
• reducing potential mosquito-breeding sources through larviciding, including areas where stagnant water is present; and
• routine adulticiding – controlling mosquitos in their adult stage through ULV spraying.

Routine adulticiding is applied on the ground by employing vehicle-mounted ULV sprayers. There are areas throughout the city, however, that may not be serviced, including areas where vehicles cannot be driven, such as hike and bike trails and parks.

The CDBG funding award provides Vector Control Division inspectors the ability to mount the newly-acquired Pro-Mist® ULV sprayer to a utility vehicle in order to conduct adulticiding throughout the city’s hike and bike trail network, parks and facilities within CDBG-eligible areas.

“By utilizing this new equipment, our vector control efforts will be enhanced and expanded to service parks and trails in those areas of our community with the greatest need,” said Public Health & Wellness Director Arturo Rodriguez. “Ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents is our number one priority, and we are extremely grateful to HUD and the City’s Office of Grant Management & Community Development for this grant award.”

To learn more about the Public Health & Wellness Department’s Vector Control Division, visit: http://www.cob.us/732/Vector-Control. To report a mosquito nuisance, call (956) 546-HELP (4357).

# # #