West Nile Virus Hits the Valley

The season for West Nile Virus hit the San Fernando Valley once again, with positive mosquito samples found in Van Nuys and Valley Village last week.

"It's another reason to remain diligent in making sure there is no still water around your house," said Levy Sun, of the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District, which keeps statistics and tests for West Nile throughout the Southern California area.

There's some good news, though, for the Chatsworth's horse owner community. No equine in California has been detected carrying the virus, according to state's official West Nile website.

Studio City was hit hard when both birds and mosquito samples were found during the 2011 season, but after a big clean-up campaign, there were no positive tests in 2012, but some people contracted the virus locally because a neighboring pool was left sitting untreated. (See stories below.)

There are some very simple ways to avoid this, see below.

The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District (GLACVCD) confirmed 13 additional West Nile virus (WNV) positive mosquito samples this week, just a couple of days before the start of National Mosquito Control Awareness Week.

The chart below provides the breakdown of newly confirmed WNV activity in the district's jurisdiction.

City or Community     

Zip Code(s)                   

# of WNV+ 

mosquito samples collected  

Pico Rivera                 

90660                                  

2

Norwalk                      

90650                                 

 1

Downey                     

 90241                                  

 1

Hawaiian Gardens

90716

1

Montebello

90640

1

Artesia

90701

1

Bell

90201

1

Cudahy

90201

1

South Gate

90280

2

Van Nuys

91401

1

Valley Village

91607

1

"National Mosquito Control Awareness Week is an opportunity for our district to emphasize the importance of mosquito control and disease prevention," says Truc Dever, Director of Community Affairs for GLACVCD. "The widespread increase in West Nile virus activity this week is a reminder that the summer mosquito breeding season is here and residents need to take measures to protect against mosquito bites and disease transmission."

The District recommends residents follow the Three D's of West Nile virus prevention to protect themselves and their families:

Dump/Drain

Eliminate or report standing water on your property because that's where mosquitoes breed.

Dusk/Dawn

Avoid outdoor activities when mosquitoes are most active.

Defend

If you are outdoors when mosquitoes are biting, wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts and apply insect repellent containing EPA-registered active ingredients such as DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, and Oil of lemon eucalyptus.

The public is encouraged to report dead birds to help with West Nile virus surveillance and control efforts because birds play an important role in maintaining and spreading the virus. To reach the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), call their toll-free hotline at 877-WNV BIRD or visit them on-line at www.westnile.ca.gov.

For more information, please contact the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District at (562) 944-9656 or visit www.glacvcd.org. For media inquiries, please contact GLACVCD Public Information Officer Levy Sun at (562) 325-3271.