This tweet was brought to my attention today.
A dead bird could mean West Nile Virus-infected mosquitoes are near. Report dead birds. Call 1-877- 968-2473 pic.twitter.com/UkWcqWha0R
— CAPublicHealth (@CAPublicHealth) April 22, 2016
At first, I felt bad for Drake! I mean, wow, that's a low meme moment to have your popular single appropriated for West Nile awareness. But then, something happened. I began to admire California Public Health. Its total ownership of memes and attempt to make millennials care about diseased mosquitoes is impressive! Like a dad doing five minutes at an open-mic night about how much he loves his wife and kids, it’s admirably embarrassing. This isn't the first time the agency has used dated memes to spread important health tips. Here we go:
Stay safe against mosquito bites my friends! Learn more: https://t.co/0Ybq2rnR8t pic.twitter.com/0QL83q3efy
— CAPublicHealth (@CAPublicHealth) April 21, 2016
Spring is in the air & so are mosquitoes. Keep them from multiplying #DumpAndDrain https://t.co/0Ybq2rnR8t pic.twitter.com/aYGoMYfwWg
— CAPublicHealth (@CAPublicHealth) April 20, 2016
Ouch! For pain-free ways of protecting against mosquitoes visit https://t.co/BJcEwJOy9P. #FightTheBite pic.twitter.com/Jy09VhjNBQ
— CAPublicHealth (@CAPublicHealth) April 18, 2016
This little guy protects against mosquito bites, and you can too! Find out more: https://t.co/BJcEwJOy9P pic.twitter.com/4UxSZfReqw
— CAPublicHealth (@CAPublicHealth) April 18, 2016
I share in that baby's joy (big summer accomplishment).
Mosquitoes suck — both literally and figuratively! Is there anyone out there that loves mosquitoes? Please let me know why you do in the comments because I find that crazy. The buggers are not only generally accepted as pests, but also spread scary diseases like West Nile, Zika, and dengue. That's a lot of bad for one tiny insect. Supposedly they're going to take over the world with global warming, too. Now that’s a danger that warrants a proactive meme. Thank you, California Public Health, for trying to capture the internet's attention. Your memes worked! I care now. And with that, here is this:
Yes, you can! Protect your families by wearing DEET! #FightTheBite pic.twitter.com/oT6wpTtnaO
— CAPublicHealth (@CAPublicHealth) April 19, 2016