The West Nile virus recently discovered in mosquitoes has public health officials urging Long Beach residents to take precautions to help reduce the chances of exposure.
“Three mosquito traps have tested positive for West Nile virus recently,” said John Holguin, supervisor of the epidemiology division of the Department of Health and Human Services in Long Beach.
While the virus has been positively identified in mosquito traps, no human or animal cases have been reported in the area so far. The West Nile virus has been found in a total of 20 counties across California, both in mosquitoes and birds. Since June 20, three people in California have been infected with the virus, two in Stanislaus County and one in Tulare County. Last year, 380 human cases were reported in California and 21 resulted in death.
The Long Beach Health Department’s Vector Control Program placed over 20 mosquito traps throughout the city several months ago and collects samples on a weekly basis. These samples are then tested for West Nile and other airborne diseases. “West Nile is a major concern for the Health Department,” said Nelson Kerr, manager of the Vector Control Program.
“We are working very closely with the state to set traps which help count the positive-tested mosquito population.” Mosquitoes are most active during hot summer months in the dusk and dawn hours. “[The virus has] become a high priority over summer because of the weather,” Kerr said.
The Vector Control Program also has field inspectors who treat known mosquito breeding sites such as parks, wetlands and gutters along the Los Angeles River on a daily basis. “Mosquitoes are carriers, meaning they travel,” Holguin said. “We don’t want to give people a false sense of security and make them think only those locations are unsafe.”
The city of Long Beach had no reported West Nile virus activity in 2007, which makes this recent activity a surprise to residents. “I wasn’t aware that it is affecting us,” said Maryam Ahmadinia, a senior communications major. “It’s something you hear about in the news but never seems local.”
The virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. Some people infected with the virus have no symptoms. Many residents are unaware of what symptoms to look for if they do present themselves. “I’ve heard about West Nile but I still don’t know what the symptoms are,” said AJ Danan, a senior art major. “I wouldn’t know what to look for.”
Symptoms may include fever, body aches, rash, nausea, vomiting and headaches. In severe cases inflammation of the brain may occur. The incubation period between the mosquito bite and onset of illness ranges from three to 15 days for humans.
It is estimated that one in 150 people who are infected will be hospitalized. Currently there is no approved vaccination. The recent finding of the West Nile Virus and the hot summer weather have caused public health officials to urge residents to protect themselves using the following precautions:
§ Wear insect repellent containing DEET or Picaridin and follow instructions on the label.
§ Eliminate standing water, where mosquitoes breed, by dumping or draining water in neglected ponds, birdbaths, fountains, buckets, etc.
§ Maintain swimming pools with all circulation and filtration equipment operating correctly and chemical levels within recommended guidelines.
§ Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants at dawn and dusk – when mosquitoes are most active.
§ Keep tight fitting screens on doors and windows to prevent mosquitoes from entering homes.
§ Limit the watering of lawns and outdoor plants to twice a week to avoid run off to gutters. Avoid over-watering plants or lawns to avoid creating pools of standing water.
§ Report dead birds to the California Department of Health Services by calling 1-877-WNV-Bird
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