West Nile Virus Mosquito Discovered In California
The Santa Clara County Vector Control District has announced mosquito fogging treatments on Friday after confirming that the adult mosquitoes collected from certain parts of San Jose in California carry the West Nile virus.
The fogging treatment will be performed in the affected areas to prevent the virus from spreading to the residents. If the weather conditions remain stable, the fogging treatment will be carried at 11 p.m. on Wednesday until 2 a.m. Thursday. The ZIP code areas in which the treatment will be carried out include 95125, 95124, 95008, and 95118.
According to the Vector Control District Manager, Denise Bonilla, the initial detection of mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus has occurred a month earlier in 2016, as compared to last year. However, that does not mean that the season would be worse than last year. This just indicates that people need to protect themselves from mosquito bites now, rather than to take precautionary steps later.
The agency has also planned to distribute door hangers to the residents starting Friday. Notices are also being sent to the residents located in affected areas through direct AlertSCC. In addition, it is also being sent to the ZIP codes who have subscribed to the Nextdoor neighborhood networks.
The notice is also being posted on the different social media platforms used by the county's vector district, including Twitter, Yahoo Group and the SSC Vector app.
The vector control staff will be available on Wednesday and Thursday for a telephonic discussion or to answer any questions that people might have. They can be reached through a dedicated phone line or voicemail at 1-800-314-2427 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
People are not required to relocate at the time of fogging. But people are advised to close their windows and stay inside to prevent exposure for family and pets.
