The positive mosquito samples came from a trap located near 57th Street West and Avenue L, and it is the first sign of West Nile Virus in mosquitoes in the Antelope Valley this year, according to the Antelope Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District.
“This is a reminder that West Nile Virus is active in the Antelope Valley,” said District Manager Cei Kratz. “Mosquito control is a shared responsibility of the property owner and the AVMVCD. If both parties do their part to get rid of or treat standing water, the entire community will benefit from less mosquitoes and less chances of mosquito-borne diseases, such as West Nile Virus.”
People bitten by an infected mosquito may develop West Nile fever and experience flu-like symptoms that can include fever, body aches, skin rash, and fatigue. In some people, West Nile fever can develop into a more serious form of the disease.
AVMVCD personnel has been conducting intensive searches of the entire District to keep mosquito populations low and reduce the chances of residents getting ill. This includes door-to-door pool inspections to ensure pools are either clean and maintained or completely dry.
Officials are urging residents to do their part to protect themselves from mosquito bites by following these recommendations:
- Check property for standing water and get rid of it.
- When mosquitoes are active, use EPA registered insect repellents that contain one of these main ingredients: DEET, Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, IR3535.
- Make sure screens on windows and doors are in good repair.
- Check around faucets and air conditioner units, and repair leaks or puddles that remain for several days.
- Report stagnant pools and other backyard sources to the AVMVCD at 661-942-2917.
- Report dead birds by calling 1-877-WNV-BIRD (877-968-2473) or online at www.westnile.ca.gov.
The California Department of Public Health as of July 18 reported that 20 dead birds, 582 mosquito samples, and one human tested positive for West Nile Virus across 16 counties in California. At this time last year, there were 67 dead birds, 171 mosquito samples, seven Sentinel chickens and 10 humans across 21 counties that tested positive for WNV.
To stay up-to-date on new West Nile Virus activity in the Antelope Valley and any mosquito-related information, visit at www.avmosquito.org or contact the Antelope Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District at 661-942-2917.
[Information via news release from the Antelope Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District.]
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LYNND says
Early this summer I was bit during the daytime so I know the invasive Aedes mosquito in the Lake Elizabeth area, too, but there is no monitoring here and no option, even, for me to pick up traps at a County office and try to help LA County Public Health track the extent of the problem. Last summer I found multiple dead California Quayle in my yard, presumably West Nile victims as they had no injuries, and this year I saw sick crows. Now the flock of crows that called my neighborhood home is entirely gone (presumably dead).
Beginning in May, when the mosquito populations on my property alone numbered in the tens of thousands — have you ever heard the ROAR of that many mosquitoes in flight? I have! — I called LA County Public Health, visited the County 211 web page, wrote emails asking for assistance and was bounced around endlessly to every wrong phone number an LA County Public Health employee could give me. The upshot? Nobody knew/knows what’s going on in this area of Northwest LA County.
In my broad-ranging search for help, I even got so far as Rep. Lackey’s office where I reached another dead end! If West Nile and the Aedes (Zika, Yellow Fever carrying) mosquitoes are a real public health issue, than it should not matter if one is a resident of an incorporated or unincorporated area of LA County. Public health is public health!
The Lake Elizabeth area is surrounded by Angeles National Forest land — and, apparently, that isn’t cause to do any mosquito monitoring, either.
I tried calling the AVMVCD about a month ago, around the time this news made headlines here in the AV. I indicated that there was a huge problem with mosquitoes on my property — which makes no sense because I don’t have a pool, a pond a fountain or even any catch-basins under my potted plants. I requested that they send someone who could meet with me at my home to make sense of why tens of thousands of these mosquitoes — multiple species, no less — were calling the back of my home “home” during the daytime. A day or two later, AVMVCD had someone from their office call to report to my answering machine — as I was headed out the door early in the morning — that someone was on the way up. When I immediately called back to indicate that I wanted to be present but had been on my way out the door, I was told that “It may be awhile”. (Apparently, I was to be reprimanded for not being available with less than an hour’s notice???) That was the last I heard. Meanwhile, this same AVMVCD office saw fit to publish in the paper all this “public awareness” about what they were doing to set traps, get homeowners to participate, etc. Sorry to burst your bubble — but “The Lakes” communities, as we are known are Ground Zero for AV mosquito problems. Serving Lancaster and Palmdale while ignoring the AV’s only naturally occurring lakes — some of the few naturally-occurring lakes in the entirety of Southern California! — is like putting out a house fire while an ammunition depot with flames on the roof, across the street, goes ignored.
My understanding is that AVMVCD is sub-contracted to respond to this unincorporated part of the AV but they only do so by request. Well, I TRIED to make such a request only to find that their idea of servicing my call was to send someone who would make no effort to meet with me because they made no effort verify I would be home.
If LA County Public Health was proactive, they would be spraying up here, much as they are in parts of Orange County where West Nile has been found AND they would be offering traps to individuals who are willing to volunteer their LAKESIDE Antelope Valley area homes for monitoring. But nooooo. After spending hours upon hours trying to put this area on the LA County Public Health map this past summer — which included sending an email to the 5th District Supervisor’s Office! — I give up.
Thomas Peterson says
You made a good point that people that have been bitten by an infected mosquito can contract the West Nile virus and have flu-like symptoms that have a chance of developing into a more serious disease. I’ve been careful to avoid mosquitoes as I haven’t wanted to catch anything. Maybe I’ll have to be a little more vigilant and get in touch with mosquito control to help keep me safe.
Cher says
Property owners please keep your pools maintained. For those who can’t afford to keep up your pools there should be resources through the county. Hopefully there are programs and if not there should be in order to protect our communities.
Matt K. says
All they have to do is call the AV Mosquito & Vector Control District and they will bring fish to eat the mosquito larvae in the pools.