ROSEVILLE, Calif. – Eight additional mosquito samples in western Placer County have tested positive for West Nile virus in the past week. A majority of the positive samples were collected from mosquito traps located in the Lincoln area.
“The high temperatures we have been experiencing not only make it easier for West Nile virus to replicate in birds and mosquitoes but also result in more mosquitoes,” said Joel Buettner, General Manager of the Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District. Buettner states that western Placer County will be seeing an increase in mosquito activity. In addition to the West Nile virus vector mosquitoes we have been seeing all summer, the Anopheles mosquitoes are increasing in number as well. These mosquitoes may be aggressive, but are not known vectors for West Nile virus.
With warm temperatures still in the forecast, the District urges residents to implement prevention strategies, such as using an effective repellent, that will decrease the risk of mosquito bites. “While the District continues its West Nile virus surveillance and mosquito control efforts, personal protection is still key at times like these,” Buettner states.
For more information on the different mosquito species in Placer County, contact the Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District at (888) 768-2343 or visit www.placermosquito.org.
2011 Placer County West Nile virus activity update: 3 dead birds, 0 sentinel chickens, 32 mosquito samples, and 0 humans have tested positive for West Nile Virus to date.
Contact: Ada Barros, Public Information Officer, (916) 343-0009.