San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District’s mosquito-borne disease surveillance program has confirmed West Nile virus (WNV) positive mosquito samples found in zip codes 95366 (Ripon) and 95337 (Manteca). This is the first find of WNV in the region for 2017.
“This find serves as a reminder that mosquitoes carry disease that can harm humans. The District does its part in controlling mosquitoes, however mosquito control is everyone’s responsibility,” said Ed Lucchesi, Manager of the Mosquito and Vector Control District. “Adult mosquito control activities will increase in accordance with our surveillance results.”
District Public Information Officer Aaron Devencenzi added that they are seeing a lot of mosquitoes in the San Joaquin-Stanislaus corridor and spraying operations are being conducted routinely to help keep the mosquito population under control.
With the past winter flooding followed by intermittent warm weather and sporadic rains, it is important that people protect themselves from mosquito bites, Devencenzi said. Residents of and visitors to San Joaquin County can reduce their risk of WNV infection and other mosquito-transmitted diseases by taking these precautions:
Eliminate all sources of standing water on your property that can support mosquito breeding.
Apply insect repellent containing the active ingredient DEET or Picaridin when outdoors, according to label instructions.
Avoid spending time outside when mosquitoes are most active, at dawn and dusk, and especially for the first two hours after sunset.
When outdoors, wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts and other protective clothing.
Exclude mosquitoes from your home with tight fitting screens on doors and windows.
Contact your veterinarian for information on vaccinating equine against WNV.
In addition, San Joaquin County residents are asked to report significant mosquito infestations to San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District at www.sjmosquito.org; (209) 982-4675; or 1-800-300-4675.
Report dead birds and tree squirrels to 1-877-WNV-BIRD (1-877-968-2473) or www.westnile.ca.gov.
For additional information, request service, and/or to sign up for the District’s spray notification system, go to www.sjmosquito.org.
