The Santa Clara County Vector Control District confirmed the presence of West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes in a small area that includes Sunnyvale and Santa Clara, so weather permitting, those areas will be treated to reduce infections. adult mosquito populations.
The treatment will be carried out with the use of equipment mounted on trucks this Thursday, August 3, starting around 10:00 p.m., lasting approximately 4 hours. The affected codes will be: 94085, 94086, 94087 and 95051.
Authorities have noted that there is no need to change locations during treatment, as these pose minimal risk to people, pets, animals, and the environment when applied by a licensed vector control professional following instructions. Of the label.
However, they said, those who wish to take extra precautions can keep family members and pets inside during the roughly four-hour treatment, with windows and doors closed.
In the morning, the insecticide breaks down quickly when exposed to sunlight. Since the District applies ultra-low volume insecticides, it is unlikely that people will breathe or touch anything that has enough insecticide on it to be harmful.
"All materials used in our mosquito control program are approved by the Environmental Protection Agency for use in public areas and are widely used by vector control agencies throughout California," officials said in a statement.
The District's mosquito management program focuses primarily on preventing mosquitoes from reaching the adult biting stage by proactively targeting immature stages of mosquitoes found in standing water.
And it is that, when a positive mosquito for the West Nile virus?WNV, for its acronym in English, is detected, it is crucial that control treatments are carried out, since any delay in the application would present an imminent threat to health and safety public, exposing the community to possible injury, or even death, caused by a vector.
It is normal to see an increase in West Nile virus during the summer and early fall because mosquitoes thrive in warm weather.
Santa Clara County authorities are sending notice directly to the public in treatment ZIP codes through AlertSCC and to those who subscribe to Nextdoor. In addition, they have issued a general notice on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter ?@SCCVCD?, and for those subscribed to the District's mosquito treatment notifications.
Vector Control staff will be available to answer questions from the public, Monday through Friday, on their dedicated West Nile Virus Hotline at (408) 282-3114, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Questions can also be emailed to vectorinfo@cep.sccgov.org.
Since West Nile virus arrived in California in 2003, more than 7,000 people statewide have contracted the disease; nearly 400 of those cases were fatal. In 2022, there were 15 WNV-related human deaths; 2015 was a record year for deaths in the state with 55 deaths.
WNV infection does not cause symptoms in most people. However, in some it can cause fever, headache, body aches and, in severe cases, significant neurological damage or death. People with certain chronic medical conditions ?such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and kidney disease? and older adults are at higher risk of serious complications.
Given this, inspect weekly if there is stagnant water; Drain or turn over anything that can hold water, such as flower pots, pot liner, pet dishes, buckets, and old tires; clean items such as birdbaths and pet feeders once a week to remove mosquito eggs; and clean debris from rain gutters regularly to allow water to flow.
Also, adequately cover rain barrels, cisterns, and irrigation drains to prevent mosquito access; fix leaky faucets and broken sprinkler heads and avoid overwatering lawns and plants; make sure window and door screens are in good condition, free of holes or tears, and fit snugly, and check that pool water level is adequate for proper circulation and filtration.
Free mosquito fish can be ordered online at www.sccvector.org for placement in pools/spas, ornamental ponds, watering holes, and other neglected man-made bodies of water.
Outdoors, limit outdoor activities during dusk and dawn: these are the times when the mosquitoes that transmit WNV are most active; dress in long-sleeved shirts and long pants, preferably in light colors; mosquitoes are mainly attracted to dark colors; apply insect repellent containing DEET, IR3535, or lemon eucalyptus oil, always following label instructions.
Finally, contact the Santa Clara County Vector Control District if you are bothered by mosquitoes or know of a possible source of mosquito breeding.
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