From CBS Sacramento
August 18, 2020

LODI (CBS13) — Mosquitoes carrying St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE) virus have been discovered in Lodi.

It’s the first instance of the virus in San Joaquin County since a human case nearly 50 years ago.

Symptoms of the SLE virus include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and tiredness. Officials say the SLE virus is in the same family as the West Nile Virus, which is very active in the San Joaquin County mosquito population.

The San Joaquin County Vector Control District is now urging residents to protect themselves from mosquitoes. They say the higher temperatures cause the mosquito life cycle to speed up and increase the replication of the virus within their bodies.

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From the Modesto Bee
August 18, 2020

Mosquitoes that can carry yellow fever, Zika and a few other diseases have turned up in Turlock and Ceres, officials said Tuesday.

The finds came about a year after this species, Aedes aegypti, made its first known appearance in Stanislaus County. That was in Modesto and Newman. No diseases have been reported in California.

The latest detections were by the Turlock Mosquito Abatement District. It takes in the part of the county south of the Tuolumne River, along with the West Side.

From the Sacramento Patch
August 17, 2020

DAVIS (CBS13) — Vector control is warning that the sustained hot weather is causing mosquito populations to multiply – with West Nile virus activity now seeing a spike.

The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District announced on Monday that mosquito samples tested from around the area are starting to show increased West Nile activity.

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From the San Francisco News
August 17, 2020

CONTRA COSTA—On Friday, August 14, the Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District announced that they found a group of mosquitoes that tested positive for the West Nile Virus near Byron in Contra Costa County.

According to Steve Schutz, the District’s Scientific Programs Manager said in a statement:

“August and September are the peak months for human cases of West Nile virus. Dead birds, especially crows and jays, are often a good early indication that West Nile virus is present in a particular area. Birds can be carriers of West Nile virus.”

The statement noted that two people died after contracting West Nile, and 66 people have been diagnosed with the virus in Contra Costa County since 2005. West Nile Virus causes fever, which is mostly transmitted by Culex, one of the mosquito species.

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From the Record Searchlight
August 17, 2020

The first known mosquitoes with the potential to carry such diseases as Zika and yellow fever has been discovered in Shasta County.

The first mosquito was found Friday in a trap north of Lake Boulevard and west of North Market Street, also known as Highway 273, according to the Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control District.

The mosquitoes, known as Aedes aegypti, have been found in other areas of California, but the recent finding in Redding marks a first for Shasta County, according to mosquito district manager Peter Bonkrude.

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From NBC Bay Area
August 15, 2020

Mosquitoes trapped earlier this week near Byron tested positive for West Nile virus, Contra Costa County vector control officials said Friday.

The infected mosquitoes are the first sign of the virus so far this year in the county, where August and September are usually the peak months of West Nile cases in humans, according to the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District.

Residents are urged to prevent the insects from breeding by dumping and draining any standing water on their property and to report neighborhood mosquito issues including neglected swimming pools.

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From the Sun Gazette
August 12, 2020

VISALIA – Leaving flowers at the grave site of a lost loved one is an important part of the grieving process. Unfortunately, the standing water left in flower containers can lead to the spread of a serious diseases.

The Visalia Public Cemetery District announced last week that more than two-thirds of the flower containers at grave sites that had standing water contained mosquito larvae for Aedes aegypti, an invasive mosquito that is known to carry and transmit several human diseases including dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika.

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From The Patch
August 12, 2020

RIVERSIDE, CA — The mosquito-borne Zika virus can defeat a person’s immune system by drilling into the cellular defenses needed to combat diseases, according to research by a pair of UC Riverside scientists.

UCR biochemistry professor Jikui Song and virologist Rong Hai were joined by researchers from UCLA in producing a study on Zika’s micro-level interactions, published in the most recent edition of Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.

Key elements of the research spotlighted how Zika pathogens damage a person’s immune response by penetrating defender cells known as interferons.

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From NBC Los Angeles
August 12, 2020

A man from Alpine has been confirmed to be the first person in San Diego County in 2020 to test positive for the West Nile virus, the County Health and Human Services announced Wednesday.

The California Department of Public Health confirmed the case on Aug. 11. after the man, 61, was hospitalized and tested for the virus. He has since recovered.

Health officials said the man had traveled to Yuma, Arizona, where it is believed he had contracted the virus.

There have been only three human cases of West Nile virus in San Diego County in 2019 and two in 2018, County officials said.

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From KRON 4
August 11, 2020

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. (KRON) – Officials said West Nile virus has been confirmed in adult mosquitoes collected in a limited area of Los Altos Hills.

According to the County of Santa Clara Vector Control District, the mosquitoes were collected from portions of the 94022 zip code.

Mosquito control treatment has been scheduled in the area for Thursday, Aug. 13 at 10 p.m. and will last about three hours.

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From pleasantonweekly.com
August 11, 2020

A dead bird found in Dublin last week tested positive for West Nile virus, marking the “first indication of active virus transmission” in the county this year, the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District announced.

According to the district, the body of an American crow was recovered on Aug. 5 from the 6800 block of Ash Court in the city of Dublin, less than a half mile from Valley High School. Results from tests conducted at the district laboratory on Aug. 7 were positive for the virus.

More than 90 cases of West Nile — which is spread to humans and animals through the bite of an infected mosquito and has no cure — have been reported in California this year. The majority of them are dead birds (81) and 10 humans, plus 675 mosquito samples.

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From NBC Los Angeles
August 10, 2020

A child who tested positive for West Nile Virus is the first person to be infected this year in Orange County, officials reported Monday.

The child, whose age and identity are protected, was diagnosed sometime last week and was hospitalized but is expected to recover, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency. This was the first time this year a person in the county has been infected.

The state has reported 10 people infected statewide so far in 2020.

County officials said a total of seven people contracted West Nile in the area last year.

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From Outbreak News Today
August 6, 2020

Researchers led by Columbia University’s International Research Institute for Climate and Society and the Pan-American Health Organization have developed a system to monitor and forecast the environmental suitability of transmission of Zika, dengue fever, chikungunya and other diseases carried by species of Aedes mosquitos in the U.S. and neighboring regions.

Their results show that the forecasting skill of the new system is very good, with ‘hotspots’ of higher skill in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.

The team published its findings in Scientific Reports.

The new system, called AeDES (https://aedes.iri.columbia.edu), is expected to help public-health authorities identify at-risk areas at least a month ahead of time, improving response and planning operations.

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From The Horse
August 6, 2020

On Aug. 3, California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) officials confirmed the state’s second case of West Nile virus (WNV) in a horse in 2020. The affected horse, a 2-year-old Quarter Horse colt from Stanislaus County, began showing neurologic signs on July 28. Those signs included falling, fore- and hind-limb ataxia (incoordination), and knuckling. The horse, which was unvaccinated, is reported as recovering.

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From the Davis Enterprise
August 6, 2020

West Nile Virus is in Davis.

Dead birds found July 30 and Aug. 2 have tested positive for the virus, as have multiple mosquitos found throughout Yolo County, the local vector control district announced on Wednesday.

“We are closely monitoring and keeping an eye on the city of Davis since (West Nile) has been detected within city boundaries and in the surrounding areas,” said Gary Goodman, manager of the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District.

“While temperatures have cooled off significantly this week, we are still in the middle of summer and conditions are right for mosquitoes to continue breeding and posing a threat for disease transmission,” said Goodman.

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From Berkeley News
August 5, 2020

As climate change heats up the weather in Southern California, coastal populations from San Diego to Santa Barbara may face an increased risk of contracting West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases, suggests a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

West Nile virus is America’s deadliest mosquito-borne disease and has been a threat to the Los Angeles metropolitan area since it arrived in 2003. The virus is harbored by mosquitos and birds and is most commonly spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.

The study team analyzed data on nearly 2 million mosquitoes that had been captured and tested for West Nile in Los Angeles between 2006 and 2016. They then used machine learning to identify the landscape and climate conditions that influenced mosquito infection in different neighborhoods.

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From State of the Planet
August 4, 2020

Researchers led by Columbia University’s International Research Institute for Climate and Society and the Pan-American Health Organization have developed a system to monitor and forecast the environmental suitability of transmission of Zika, dengue fever, chikungunya and other diseases carried by species of Aedes mosquitos in the U.S. and neighboring regions.

Their results show that the forecasting skill of the new system is very good, with ‘hotspots’ of higher skill in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.

The team published its findings in Nature Scientific Reports.

The new system, called AeDES, is expected to help public health authorities identify at-risk areas at least a month ahead of time, improving response and planning operations.

Read more

From Newsweek
August 4, 2020

Asian giant hornets have the potential to spread across the United States and establish a permanent presence in the country, experts have told Newsweek.

The hornet species—the world’s largest—is native to eastern and southern portions of Asia, however, the insect was detected in British Columbia, Canada in September 2019, and subsequently, across the border in a single county of Washington state in December of that year.

“I suspect if they are not stopped in Washington they will spread across the more temperate regions of the United States—basically, any place that approximates where they are already established, and, as they are closely related to our paper wasps, probably where those are established too,” Marc Lame, clinical associate professor at Indiana University’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, told Newsweek.

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From NBC Los Angeles
August 3, 2020

Mosquitoes in Pomona tested positive for West Nile virus, officials with the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District announced Monday.

After discovering the presence of the mosquito-borne disease in a routine test, control officials encouraged residents to take action now to prevent an outbreak from spreading in their communities.

“West Nile virus is endemic, which means we’ll detect it every year in our communities,” said SGVMVCD Scientific Program Manager Melissa Doyle. “As the season heats up, everyone should take the necessary steps to prevent mosquito bites and eliminate stagnant water around their home.”

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From Champion Newspapers
August 1, 2020

From NBC Los Angeles
July 31, 2020

Mosquitoes netted in Nuevo tested positive for West Nile virus, but there were no immediate plans to start pest control spraying in the area, Riverside County health officials said Friday.

A batch from a collection site in the area of Orange Street and Reservoir Avenue bordering Mystic Field was confirmed to be carrying WNV, according to the Department of Environmental Health.

The agency has netted numerous West Nile-carrying mosquitoes in that same general area in summers past. Department of Environmental Health spokeswoman Dottie Merki said the mosquitoes were caught on July 21, and testing by a vector control lab verified on Thursday that they were WNV positive.

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From News Medical Life Sciences
July 30, 2020

To fight viruses, cells can deploy defence enzymes that progressively destroy viral genome strands starting from one of the two strand ends. However, this degradation mechanism is not effective against epidemic viruses such as Zika. In fact, the defence enzyme jams at precise points of the viral genome, which put up a strenuous resistance by assuming “defensive” conformation. This is how the virus succeeds at protecting important pieces of its RNA inside infected cells, as demonstrated by a recent study coordinated by SISSA of Trieste and published in the journal Nature Communications.

Although the capability of some viruses, such as those responsible for Zika infection, dengue or yellow fever, to generate RNAs resistant to the attack from the cellular machinery was already known, the scientists have discovered and explained in this study the mechanistic rationale behind the phenomenon using computer simulations. Some parts of the viral RNA strand react to the progressive enzymatic degradation, which starts from one particular end of the strand, by assuming an extremely compact form.

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From ABC7
July 31st, 2020

BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. — Butte County has confirmed seven mosquito pools and two sentinel chicken have tested positive for the West Nile virus (WNV).

Mosquitoes carrying the virus have been found widespread throughout Butte County on the valley floor, according to the Butte County Mosquito and Vector Control District.

Officials say mosquitos carrying the virus have been collected from the southern area of Butte County (Honcut) as far north as west Chico.

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From Pest Control Technology
July 30, 2020

From The Morning Call
July 28, 2020

From Benicia Patch
July 28, 2020

SOLANO COUNTY, CA — A bird found in the city of Benicia tested positive for West Nile virus, county officials said Tuesday.

The bird, a California Scrub-Jay, was collected July 12 in eastern Benicia, according to officials with the Solano County Department of Health and Social Services Public Health division and the Solano County Mosquito Abatement District.

“This marks the official start of West Nile virus season in Solano County,” said Dr. Christine Wu, the county’s deputy health officer. “This is an important reminder for residents to take the necessary precautions to avoid coming in contact with mosquitoes, such as using insect repellent when outside and eliminating standing water where mosquitoes can breed.”

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From King5
July 23, 2020

From Action News Now
July 23, 2020

BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. – The West Nile Virus has been identified and is now active in Butte County. Two of the District’s sentinel chickens have tested positive with West Nile virus (WNV), the Butte County Mosquito and Vector Control District announced Thursday.

One chicken is from the Palermo area and the other chicken is five miles west of Chico. With increasing mosquito populations and the detection of WNV within Butte County, the District said it’s urging residents to take all precautions necessary to drain any and all un-needed standing water, report any suspected mosquito-breeding sites to the District, and protect themselves from mosquito bites.

The District said this is the first positive indicator of WNV in the county for 2020. WNV is active throughout the state of California and activity is rising, according to the District.

“It’s imperative that county residents be aware that WNV is active and to avoid mosquito bites by whatever means necessary. Residents are urged to do their part to prevent mosquitoes from breeding by inspecting and eliminating all standing water from their properties.” WNV has been identified in Butte County every year since its arrival in 2004. Since 2004, 249 residents have been infected with the virus, 9 of which have lost their lives.

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From Los Cerritos News
July 22, 2020

Los Angeles, CA.  The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District (GLACVCD/District) recently launched its grassroots outreach program, Mosquito Watch. This neighborhood program, facilitated by the District’s Community Liaisons, educates, mobilizes and empowers Angelenos to take action against mosquitoes as populations and virus activity increase.

A new resource website, TipTossTakeAction.org, allows individuals to join Mosquito Watch by taking a pledge to protect their communities. They are then guided through three easy steps to learn about mosquito breeding source reduction and sharing the information with their neighbors.  

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From CBS Sacramento
July 22, 2020

ROSEVILLE (CBS13) — Vector control officials say a mosquito sample in Placer County has tested positive for West Nile virus.

The Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District announced the county’s first positive sample on Wednesday. It was taken from a mosquito trap in the western part of the county, near Baseline and Pleasant Grove roads.

Health officials have already confirmed positive West Nile samples in nearly a dozen other California counties this season. Back in late June, Stanislaus County also confirmed two human cases of the virus.

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From ABC 10 News San Diego
July 21, 2020

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — People living along the coast in north county say they can’t remember the last time mosquitoes were so bad.

Sharon Mauro lives near the San Elijo Lagoon in Solana Beach.

“Oh, we couldn’t leave the house without them attacking us,” said Mauro.

She hired Tony Gallardo of Mosquito Joe to spray her property.

“The last few weeks have been very busy. Basically, from the coastline all the way to Poway, the mosquito problem is pretty significant right now,” said Gallardo.

Gallardo says he sprays roughly 15 homes a day.

“This is kind of a perfect storm in everybody is stuck at home now, they want to be outside. The kids are getting tired of being inside. You get outside the mosquitos are eating everybody up, they’re breeding cause they have more food, strange way to put it,” said Gallardo.

From MedicalXpress
July 20, 2020

An international group of researchers have discovered that inhibiting AHR (aryl hydrocarbon receptor)—a protein with roles in regulating immunity, stem cell maintenance and cellular differentiation—enables the immune system to combat replication of zika virus in the organism far more effectively. In experiments performed at the University of São Paulo’s Biomedical Sciences Institute (ICB-USP) in Brazil, the antiviral therapy proved capable of preventing the development of microcephaly and other malformations in mouse fetuses whose mothers were infected while pregnant.

The study was supported by FAPESP. An article describing the results was published on July 20 in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

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From CBS 8
July 20, 2020

From Lake County Media
July 19, 2020

LAKEPORT, Calif. – A sample of mosquitoes collected in Lake County tested positive for West Nile virus, officials said Saturday.

The Lake County Vector Control District said the mosquitoes, Culex tarsalis (western encephalitis mosquito), were collected near Middletown on July 14.

“Detecting West Nile virus is typical for July in Lake County,” said Jamesina Scott, Ph.D., district manager and research director of the Lake County Vector Control District.

“Many of us are spending more time at home and in our yards this summer, and during the COVID-19 pandemic it’s easy to forget that West Nile virus is still here,” Scott said. “Thankfully, mosquitoes cannot transmit COVID-19.”

Lake County Vector Control District continues to provide mosquito control services to the community.

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From Gold Country Media
July 18, 2020

Mosquitoes are one of the deadliest creatures in the world. Their ability to spread disease causes millions of deaths worldwide every year.

There are 112 genera of mosquitoes in existence, but three genera perform the most acts of pestilence.

Zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever are all transmitted to humans by a species within genus Aedes.

A. aegypti (commonly called the yellow fever mosquito) was reported in south Placer County in August 2019 and several Central Valley and Southern California counties. Although they are out at dusk and dawn, daytime biting is a hint to their presence. They can lay eggs in as little water as contained in a bottle cap.

Human malaria is transmitted only by some females within the mosquito genus Anopheles, and they can be found in Placer County.

The most common malaria vector in our county is Anopheles freeborni. This large, over-wintering pest is a vicious biter which enters houses readily. It can be found throughout most of California, especially in rice-growing areas, and is also a daytime biter.

Ground pools, small streams, irrigated lands, freshwater marshes, forest pools and any other place with clean, slow-moving water are considered prime malaria mosquito breeding grounds for egg-laying.

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From MyNewsLA
July 18, 2020

With potentially deadly mosquito-borne viruses continuing to be detected in the Coachella Valley, crews will begin pesticide spraying operations Saturday morning that are expected to continue into the fall.

Spraying will occur on weekend mornings in Palm Desert and La Quinta through Sept. 13, from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m., except for one Sunday in August, according to the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District.

In La Quinta, spraying will be focused on the Cove neighborhood, bounded by Calle Tampico, Avenida Bermudas, Calle Tecate and Avenida Montezuma. In Palm Desert, crews will be deployed to an area bounded by El Paseo, Portola Avenue, Haystack Street and Highway 74.

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From KGET
July 16, 2020

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — As if people didn’t have enough virus concerns already, the county is now warning homeowners to stay vigilant for mosquitos.

“We have a residential mosquito problem,” said Terry Knight.

Knight, who works with Kern Mosquito and Vector Control, said the county is currently dealing with an infestation of two separate mosquito species.

“The first is the Culex mosquito, which can carry the West Nile Virus,” said Terry Knight. “The other mosquito that we’re dealing with is Aedes Aegypti.”

He said a Culex mosquito carrying the West Nile virus was caught recently near the Arvin area. However, no human cases of the illness having been reported in Kern so far this year. On the other hand, the Aedes Aegypti mosquito is spreading through the golden empire like an out of control wildfire.

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From Physicians Weekly
July 16, 2020

Since 2015, Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreaks have occurred in the Americas and the Pacific involving mosquito-borne and sexual transmission. ZIKV has also emerged as a risk to global blood transfusion safety. Aedes aegypti, a mosquito well established in north and some parts of central and southern Queensland, Australia, transmits ZIKV. Aedes albopictus, another potential ZIKV vector, is a threat to mainland Australia. Since these conditions create the potential for local transmission in Australia and a possible uncertainty in the effectiveness of blood donor risk-mitigation programs, we investigated the possible impact of mosquito-borne and sexual transmission of ZIKV in Australia on local blood transfusion safety.

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From the Davis Enterprise
July 16, 2020

West Nile virus has been detected in Yolo County for the first time this year.

The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District reported Wednesday that a mosquito sample near Zamora tested positive for the disease.

Meanwhile, West Nile virus activity continues to gradually increase throughout north Sacramento County as more mosquito samples and dead birds tested positive this week from areas near Carmichael, Fair Oaks and Arden-Arcade.

“With the warmer temperatures we’ve seen recently, West Nile virus activity is steadily rising,” said district manager Gary Goodman.

“To date, the amount of West Nile virus activity has been lower than other seasons,” Goodman said. “However, we are in the middle of summer and this can quickly change. Therefore, it’s extremely important that residents continue taking proper precautions to protect themselves from mosquitoes.”

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From the Sacramento Bee
July 15, 2020

For the first time this season, officials at the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District reported Wednesday that they have found West Nile in a mosquito sample in Yolo County. It was in Zamora.

“With the warmer temperatures we’ve seen recently, West Nile virus activity is steadily rising,” said Gary Goodman, the district manager. “To date, the amount of West Nile virus activity has been lower than other seasons, however … this can quickly change. Therefore, it’s extremely important that residents continue taking proper precautions to protect themselves from mosquitoes.”

In Sacramento County, the district has reported finding West Nile virus in 18 dead birds and 12 mosquito samples over a large swath of territory between Interstate 80 and Highway 50 from Sacramento to Folsom as well as in Elk Grove and south Sacramento.

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From The Telegraph
July 15, 2020

2020 has brought the novel coronavirus, murder hornets, locusts, and a giant “Godzilla” Saharan dust cloud. As if that weren’t enough to contend with, there’s another potential threat that should be on your radar this summer. It’s called Eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, and known as the deadliest mosquito-borne illness in the United States.

“This virus first becomes widespread between one particular mosquito species, Culiseta melanura, that transmits the pathogen between birds in wooded swamplands,” says Brittany Campbell, entomologist for the National Pest Management Association. “Then, different mosquito species that feed on humans pick up the pathogen from infected birds and spread it to humans.”

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From San Joaquin County MVCD
July 13, 2020

STOCKTON, CA. -The San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District’s (District) mosquito surveillance system has detected the invasive yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) in the Brookside area of Stockton. “With this find, this invasive mosquito has survived the winter and continues to populate, said Aaron Devencenzi, Public Information Officer of the District. “The yellow fever mosquito is very difficult to control, so public call-ins are very important,” said Devencenzi.

Aedes aegypti is a small (about ¼ inch) black and white mosquito that bites aggressively during the day. The public can help prevent the spread of these invasive mosquitoes by calling in daytime biting mosquitoes to the District.

The District will continue surveillance efforts by placing traps used to collect adult mosquitoes and mosquito eggs. Additional efforts may include the District’s staff conducting door to door inspections of the residential area near the recent Aedes aegypti detection.

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From RLN
July 13, 2020

LONG BEACH -The first human case of West Nile virus (WNV) this mosquito season was reported in Long Beach the week of July 6. The patient, in their 60s, was diagnosed with neuro-invasive illness and is now hospitalized.

This is only the second reported case in California this year, after the first human case of the season was reported in Stanislaus County. No mosquitoes in Long Beach have been found to be positive for WNV thus far this season.

WNV is transmitted through the bite of an infected Culex mosquito. Signs and symptoms of WNV may include fever, body aches, rash, nausea, vomiting and headache. Most people who become infected have no symptoms. However, approximately one in 150 may develop a more serious disease, such as brain inflammation or paralysis. Persons with these symptoms should seek immediate care.

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