Officials Urge Residents to Eliminate Standing Water After Storms

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By City News Service

Riverside County health officials urged residents to get rid of standing water following the weekend rainstorms to prevent mosquito infestations and exposure to West Nile virus.

“While West Nile virus is rarely fatal, it can sometimes be serious, and it’s not the only disease that mosquitoes can carry,” said county Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser. “The best way to avoid illness is to not get bitten in the first place.”

According to the county Department of Environmental Health, rainwater that collects in jars, discarded tires, cans, buckets and other items left outdoors where rainwater collects might become prime breeding habitats for mosquitoes. Residents should take precautions to ensure that doesn’t happen, health officials said.

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The California Department of Public Health confirmed Monday that one person in Northern California had died from complications related to West Nile.

No infections have been recorded in Riverside County so far this year. However, at least nine dead birds infected with West Nile virus have been found, and over the last three months, county vector control officials have netted dozens of mosquito colonies where the virus was present.

In 2014, 14 human cases of West Nile virus were recorded countywide, none of which were fatal. There were 801 cases throughout California last year -- the second-highest figure on record -- resulting in 31 deaths, according to state officials.

Mosquitoes typically become carriers of West Nile virus after feeding on an infected bird and can then spread the potentially lethal strain to animals and humans, health officials said.

Those at greatest risk include seniors and individuals with compromised immune systems.

Symptoms may never materialize, but can include fever, headache, nausea, body aches, skin rashes and swollen lymph nodes.

Mosquito season in Southern California generally spans the months of May to October. To reduce exposure to West Nile virus, residents were urged to:

• spend as little time as possible outdoors at dawn or dusk, when mosquitoes are generally on the move;
• wear pants and long-sleeved shirts during outdoor activity;
• use insect repellent;
• ensure door and window screens are fitted properly to keep bugs out; and
• get rid of standing water, aside from pools properly treated with chemicals.

Anyone with concerns about WNV, mosquitoes, neglected pools or standing water can contact the Riverside County Vector Control office at (951) 766-9454. More information is also available at http://www.rivcoeh.org/Programs/vector.