FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2003 |
Contact: : Marie DesOrmeaux
(202) 225-3772 |
Legislation will aid counties in combating West Nile Virus |
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(Washington, D.C.) Counties in
Arkansas and across the country recovering after last year's widespread
outbreak of the West Nile Virus got a boost today from the U.S. House of
Representatives. Legislation establishing grant and assessment programs
to combat the West Nile Virus passed the House with overwhelming support.
Fourth District Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) was a cosponsor of the bill, H.R.
342, the Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health (MASH) Act.
"Last year’s outbreak of West Nile Virus spread clear across our country to California, catching many areas of the country unprepared,” Ross said. “This virus has claimed 274 lives. Of the 4,071 cases in our country, 43 have been reported in Arkansas. We cannot afford to let the same thing happen again. Our counties did an impressive job fighting the outbreaks, but mosquitoes don't abide by boundary lines on maps. With the rise of West Nile and other mosquito-borne illness cases each season, it is vital to have a comprehensive abatement system in place as soon as possible." The West Nile virus is now one of the most well known mosquito-borne illnesses in the United States. Since the first case was discovered here in 1999, the virus has rapidly spread across the country – 44 states and the District of Columbia have reported human cases. Due to the extreme expense of establishing and maintaining a mosquito control program on a local level, many of our countries rely on tax revenue to fund their programs. Unfortunately, it can take years for a county to raise adequate funding to initiate a program. The MASH Act would attempt to relive some of the burden of these expenses by establishing a matching grant program through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The Federal government would provide a 2 for 1 match up to $100,000 to begin a program or to improve an existing mosquito control program. In addition, the MASH Act provides money for states to actively plan and coordinate mosquito control programs throughout the state. |
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