First Group Of Mosquitoes Test Positive For West Nile In Contra Costa County

A group of mosquitoes found in Oakley has tested positive for West Nile virus for the first time this year, according to a spokesperson for the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District.

Spokesperson Nola Woods said it’s not the first group of mosquitoes to undergo testing this year, but it is the first to test positive for the virus. Officials found the mosquitoes near Summer Lake in Oakley and will be spraying an insecticide in the area to control the adult mosquito population on Thursday evening.

“Typically, West Nile virus is a virus that needs warmer weather to replicate,” Woods said.

Over the past decade, two people have died and at least 50 others have been diagnosed with the virus, according to district officials. It’s not a surprise to find West Nile virus present in mosquitoes in the county, scientific program manager Steve Schutz said. District officials said it was significant, however, that no dead birds infected with the virus have been located.

Dead birds found infected with the virus are a powerful indicator in identifying where the district should direct its prevention efforts, district officials said. Schutz said district scientists can only test dead birds if they receive reports from members of the public reporting the bird’s location.

“So far this year, we are getting fewer calls,” Schutz said. “We definitely could use more.”

The mosquitoes prefer to feed on birds but can infect humans when they bite an infected bird and then bite a person, according to district officials. The mildest form of West Nile virus produces symptoms that include fever, headache, tiredness, body aches and swollen lymph glands.

The most severe form of West Nile virus can be fatal, district officials said.

District officials recommend residents dump or drain standing water, use mosquito repellent containing DEET, Picaridin or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are present and report neglected swimming pools to (925) 771-6195.

Dead birds can be reported to the state hotline by calling (877) 968-2473. The fogging activity in Oakley will take place from 8:40 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., weather permitting, in an area bordered by Allagash and Sonnet courts, Sycamore Drive, East Cypress Road, and Harborage Court and Harborage Way.

--Bay City News