Vector Control District Manager and Research Director Dr. Jamie Scott reported Thursday that routine surveillance detected the virus in a sample of 31 Culex stigmatosoma – the banded foul water mosquito – collected near Kelseyville on Friday, Sept.
Scott reminded county residents that any source of standing water can produce mosquitoes, and that residents can help protect their community by maintaining their pools to prevent mosquitoes, and to letting the district know of unmaintained swimming pools and spas.
“Our employees have been working hard to make sure that neglected swimming pools are not producing mosquitoes,” said Scott. “A single unmaintained pool can produce hundreds of thousands mosquitoes per week, and those mosquitoes can fly up to five miles away.”
She said that one neglected swimming pool increase an entire community’s risk of mosquito bites and mosquito-borne illness.
West Nile Virus has been detected in Lake County every year since its arrival in 2004, but only three residents have become ill from WNV infection in that time. Scott attributes the low incidence of West Nile virus disease in Lake County residents to the district’s vigorous efforts to control mosquitoes.
The Vector Control District regularly traps and tests mosquitoes throughout the county to identify the areas that are at highest risk, and target those areas for source reduction and treatment.
The district reports that mosquito activity – particularly for the Culex mosquitoes that transmit WNV – has been very high in some localized areas of the county.
While mosquitoes are an important part of the environment and cannot be eliminated completely, the district works to reduce mosquito populations near places where people live and recreate to prevent disease.
The district recommends that residents dump out buckets, wading pools and other sources of water where mosquitoes develop; avoid being outside when mosquitoes are active, especially near dusk and dawn; wear long sleeves and pants and use a mosquito repellent – always read and follow label directions – if they are outside when mosquitoes are active.
The Lake County Vector Control provides free mosquito-eating fish to Lake County residents for use in animal water troughs, ornamental ponds and out-of-service (“green”) swimming pools.
Residents are urged to call the district at 707-263-4770 or visit the district's Web site at www.lcvcd.org to request service if they are having problems with mosquitoes or if they want to request mosquitofish.
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