The first mosquitoes of the year positive for West Nile virus in San Joaquin County have been detected, the San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District announced Thursday.
The mosquitoes were detected by the district’s vector-borne disease surveillance program with samples collected from Upper Jones Tract in the San Joaquin Delta islands – zip code 95219.
District officials said most people who are infected with the virus don’t develop symptoms, but some could experience mild to severe illness.
For more than 20 years, West Nile virus has been detected in the county every summer. During the mosquito season, the agency said its laboratory collects and tests mosquitoes as well as dead birds for mosquito-borne diseases each week.
When temperatures rise in the summer it causes the mosquito population to increase which increases the chance of virus transmission, vector control officials said.
San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District Public Information Officer Sumiko De La Vega said residents are encouraged to inspect yards weekly for standing water where mosquitoes can develop. He also advised people to use mosquito repellents registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency when outdoors.
The District said it will continue to conduct mosquito surveillance and disease testing throughout the mosquito season.
What are ways to reduce risk of West Nile virus?
Some tips to help lower chances to the virus are to wear loose-fitting clothing with long pants and long-sleeved shirts when outside, exclude mosquitoes from your home with tight-fitting screens on doors and windows, avoid spending time outside when mosquitoes are most active –at dawn and dusk, especially for the first two hours after sunset, and use an EPA-registered insect repellent.
Another tip is to eliminate all sources of standing water that can support mosquito development – even as little as a tablespoon.
Residents having mosquito issues can request an inspection online at www.sjmosquito.org and report dead birds to 1-877-968-2473 or www.westnile.ca.gov.
Record reporter Victoria Franco covers public safety in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at vfranco@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Mosquito bearing West Nile virus detected in SJC
Reporting by Victoria Franco, The Stockton Record / The Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Victoria Franco, The Stockton Record | USA TODAY Network
