The Pioneer Post Volume VI Issue 3-4 Marriott-Slaterville City Newsletter March-April 2004 1140 West 400 North - Phone 627-1919 Community News Animal Services Weber County Animal Services thanks the citizens of Marriott-Slaterville for the opportunity to serve you. Once you read this report, hopefully you will give some thought to the importance of spaying and neutering pets. Over the last six months, 53 animals have come to the shelter just from Marriott-Slaterville. To handle these animals humanely, each animal at the shelter costs the taxpayer $52.00. These 53 animals cost the city $2,756.00. Also, 37 of these animals were cats. This is where we need your help. As summer approaches, the shelter soon expects to be overwhelmed with unwanted kittens and adult cats. Only about 20% of them will be adopted, leaving many with no future. We ask you to make a goal to spay or neuter your animals to help prevent unwanted pets. If this goal is achieved, then we will not only have pets who are cared for, but the community will save on expenses relating to animal control. Please call us at the shelter at 399-8244 for information on getting your pets spayed or neutered. West Nile Virus Alert West Nile Virus (WNV) is potentially a serious illness. The virus may result in a seasonal epidemic in North America during the summer and fall. WNV affects the central nervous system. Symptoms of the virus vary. No Symptoms: about 80% of people infected with WNV may not show any symptoms. Mild Symptoms: close to 20% of people infected with WNV may display mild symptoms of headaches, fever, body aches, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands, and rashes. Serious Symptoms: about 1 in 150 people infected with WNV will develop a severe illness. In addition to the mild symptoms, severe infections can also result in high fever, stiff neck, disorientation, loss of memory, coma, tremors, convulsions, vision loss, numbness, paralysis. The virus spreads most commonly from mosquito bites. Mosquitoes become infected after feeding on an infected bird, then the mosquito can transfer that infection to humans. In a small number of cases, infection can spread through blood transfusions, organ transplants, breast feeding, and pregnancy. WNV does not normally spread through casual contact such as touching or kissing an infected person. There is no specific treatment for WNV. Severe cases usually require hospitalization. If symptoms appear to be serious, seek medical attention. The best prevention for WNV is to avoid mosquito bites. When outdoors use insect repellant. Stay indoors during dawn and dusk hours. Do not leave windows and doors open without a screen. If you find a dead bird, do not handle it with bare hands. This information is from the Center for Disease Control. For more information visit: www.cdc.gov/westnile. Weber Fire District - Burn Permit Information Spring has arrived and it is time to clean up fields, yards, gardens, and ditches. A burn permit is allowed by the state each year during the month of April. A burn permit is obtained from Weber Fire District located at 1871 North 1350 West. You can call the district office at 782-3580 for more information. Also, agricultural burn permits are available from the district all year, but only for qualifying parcels.