LA Mosquito Population Testing Verifies Local Transmission from Infected Mosquitoes
The Mosquito and Vector Management District of Santa Barbara County wants to alert residents that several individuals in the Greater Los Angeles area have contracted Dengue, a virus spread by mosquitoes. In early November, the California Department of Public Health conducted testing of a mosquito population in the vicinity of one of the human infections and verified that the mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) carried the virus, marking the first time mosquitoes collected in California have tested positive for the Dengue virus. In California, the vast majority of Dengue infections are detected in individuals who have traveled abroad to regions where Dengue is present.
“We always recommend caution around mosquitoes due to their known ability to spread disease,” said Brian Cabrera, MVMD General Manager. “Now with the verification of local transmission of Dengue fever from mosquitoes to people in Los Angeles, the potential for spread of the disease is closer to home and a good reminder that local residents can take steps to protect themselves from mosquito-borne disease.”…