Whenever Ben Jung got a mosquito bite this summer, the West Nile Virus flashed through his mind.
In the end, however, he dismissed those thoughts. Like other citizens who live and work in Fairfax, Jung said that he's concerned about the virus, but doesn't fret about it.
"On late nights and humid days, I used Bug Off," the Great Falls resident and George Mason University student said. "That's primary. Before, I didn't do that as much. Now I put that on as a priority."
Many Fairfax residents have accepted the responsibility of taking precautions for controlling the mosquito population. Although those interviewed said they now monitor their surroundings for possible breeding grounds, their worries are mitigated by a spritz of bug spray.
"I spray myself and the kids down before we go outside," Fairfax resident Betty Hull said while gardening with two of her children.
Hull said she knows about taking precautions through the news.
Besides the media, authorities have have reached out to the public through other outlets with tips on controlling the mosquito population and preventing West Nile. The City of Fairfax's Public Works Department has gone door-to-door alerting residents to check storm drains and tip standing water containers. If residents weren't home, they left information on the doors about mosquito control.
FAIRFAX CITY started its outreach when a 77-year-old Fairfax man was treated and released in September for a possible case of the West Nile Virus.
"We've sent crews mainly on the weekends," said John Veneziano, director of public works. "Everyone appreciated it. A lot of them said they had read or heard things."
The city works with the Fairfax County Health Department in monitoring the mosquito population. In addition to trapping and testing mosquito populations all over Fairfax County, the Health Department has also treated still water sites by larviciding, adding a solution which kills mosquitoes at their larvae stage.
"We do larviciding on public lands, but it's up to citizens, on their own private property, to eliminate mosquitoes there," said Mernie Fitzgerald, director of public affairs for the Fairfax County government.
That's what Fairfax resident Lee Hubbard has been doing for weeks. He even dumped out some standing water at a neighboring vacant property.
"I'm not really concerned," said Hubbard, when asked about the West Nile Virus. "I'm only concerned for our 11 grandchildren."