Larimer County Plans West Nile Survey

Door-to-door survey will ask Fort Collins residents about mosquito prevention and control efforts

By North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com

FORT COLLINS — Larimer County health officials will visit selected Fort Collins households Sept. 28 and 29 to survey how residents protect themselves from mosquitoes and West Nile virus.

The Larimer County Department of Health and Environment will use trained teams to conduct brief, door-to-door surveys at randomly selected households. The county says responses will help health officials and local communities improve West Nile virus prevention, public education, and mosquito control efforts.

“West Nile virus is a health concern we face in Larimer County every summer, and hearing directly from residents helps us strengthen our outreach and prevention efforts,” LCDHE Executive Director Tom Gonzales said. “If a survey team visits your home, please take a few minutes to participate. By sharing your experience and perspective, you can help us identify what’s working, address gaps, and take action to better protect our community.”

Survey teams will visit selected neighborhoods between approximately noon and 7 p.m. on Sept. 28 and 29. Teams will include LCDHE staff and Colorado State University student volunteers, and members will carry identification.

Participation is voluntary. Residents may decline to answer individual questions or choose not to participate. The survey takes approximately 15 minutes, and no identifying information will be collected.

We will not visit every neighborhood or household. LCDHE is using the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response, or CASPER, methodology developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The approach uses scientific sampling to select households so a relatively small number of responses can provide information about the broader community.

Health officials want to learn how residents receive information about West Nile virus, what precautions they take to avoid mosquito bites, their perspectives on mosquito spraying, and what barriers may make prevention more difficult.

Results will also be shared with municipal leaders to help guide local mosquito-control activities and priorities.

Residents who want to verify that someone at their home is part of an official survey team can call or text LCDHE at 970-498-6708.

More information about West Nile virus and mosquito bite prevention is available at larimer.gov/westnile.

Attribution: Larimer County Department of Health and Environment