Public-health officials are advising residents to take precautions after the first human case of West Nile Virus (WNV) this year in Long Beach has been confirmed.
As of Aug. 11, 22 human cases have been reported statewide from four counties, including Los Angeles (14), San Bernardino (four), Kern (three), and Kings (one). There have been no WNV-related deaths this year in California, according to health officials.
Prior to the first human case of WNV in Long Beach, the City had documented two WNV-positive mosquito samples— one positive bird and one positive sentinel chicken between the months of June and August.
WNV is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. Signs and symptoms of WNV may include fever, body aches, rash, nausea, vomiting and headache. Most people infected have no symptoms, and approximately one in 150 may develop a more serious disease, such as brain inflammation or paralysis. Persons with these symptoms should seek immediate care, officials said.
Summer weather and drought conditions create an ideal environment for mosquito breeding, according to officials. Dr. Anissa Davis, city health officer, encourages all residents to protect themselves from WNV by taking the following precautions:
• Avoid mosquito-infested areas, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
• Mosquitoes can breed in standing water. Eliminate standing water on property by dumping or draining water in neglected ponds, birdbaths, fountains, buckets, old tires or anything that can hold water. Dumping or draining water will interrupt the mosquito life cycle. Remember to clean out containers to eliminate any eggs remaining in the container.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
• Use mosquito repellant containing DEET, Picaridin, or oil-of-lemon eucalyptus. Residents should follow repellant instructions on the label and consult with their child’s pediatrician for appropriate concentrations of DEET to be used on children under the age of 2.
• Keep tight-fitting screens on doors and windows to prevent mosquitoes from entering homes, and check to make sure window screens are in good condition.
• Maintain all swimming pools in a clean and sanitary manner, with all circulation and filtration equipment operational and chemical levels within recommended guidelines; drain water from pool covers.
• Limit the watering of lawns and outdoor plants to twice a week to avoid runoff to gutters and around sprinklers. Do not overwater plants or lawns to avoid creating pools of standing water.
• Report dead birds and dead tree squirrels to the California Department of Public Health by calling 1-877-WNV-BIRD or online at westnile.ca.gov.
Residents are also encouraged to report “day-biting” mosquitoes to the Zika hotline at (562) 570-7907. For further information, contact the City of Long Beach Health Department, Vector Control Program at (562) 570-4132, at longbeach.gov/health/inspections-and-reporting/reporting/wnv-info/ or on Facebook at facebook.com/LBHealthDept. More information about the WNV may be obtained at the California Department of Public Health website at westnile.ca.gov or at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at cdc.gov/westnile/index.html.
Source: City of LB
