Mosquitoes mean West Nile is back

Mosquito season has arrived again and local officials are gearing up for another long battle with West Nile Virus, the deadly mosquito-borne disease that killed 21 Californians last year, including a Colusa County woman.

"West Nile Virus is not going to go away; it's here to stay," said Dave Whitesell, manager of the Colusa Mosquito Abatement District.

Already this season, seven California counties have tested positive for animal and insect strains of WNV, but none so far in Colusa, Whitesell said. No positive tests have been reported in Sutter or Yuba counties. No human cases of WNV infection have been reported in the state this year.

The abatement district will target its efforts utilizing a spray program using truck-mounted foggers to control the adult mosquito populations. Additionally, aircraft will be used to control mosquitoes in the wetland and duck club areas within the district. Abandoned swimming pools in and around Colusa also will be targeted.

Homeowners are being asked to inspect their homes and yards and to remove any containers of standing water, which are the primary mosquito breeding grounds. These include watering troughs, clogged roof gutters, house cooling units, leaking faucets, old tires, and fishponds and birdbaths.

"Mosquitoes don't need a large space to propagate," said Beth Robey, director of Colusa County Health and Human Services.

The abatement district is also requesting that residents refrain from excessive watering of their lawns. A danger exists when lawns are saturated to the point that water runs off into the street gutters and remains standing.

Horses are particularly vulnerable to WNV infection, with nearly a 50 percent mortality rate, according to a district press release. A horse vaccine is available and highly recommended, but no human vaccine yet exists.

About 80 percent of all people infected with WNV do not display any symptoms. About 20 percent develop flu-like symptoms including nausea, fever, body aches, mild skin rash, and swollen lymph nodes.

The virus can be deadly for the elderly and those with lowered immune systems. In rare cases individuals can develop more serious illnesses including encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain.

The abatement district is actively encouraging residents to take preventative protection measures including staying indoors at dusk and dawn - the time mosquitoes are most active. When outdoors, residents are advised to wear long pants and long sleeve shirts and apply insect repellent with DEET. Additionally, it is recommended that residents make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens.

Currently, the district's boundaries cover only the city of Colusa and the immediate outlying areas. In March, county supervisors set an election for voters to decide whether the district should expand countywide. The special mail-in ballot will be sent out in mid-August, Robey said.

Officials have proposed charging homeowners $69 and farmland owners 58 cents an acre annually. Whitesell said his current budget is about $493,000; expanding the program across the county would require an additional $420,000 per year, he said. The assessments fund air- and ground-based pesticide spraying.

Contact Robert Parsons at 458-2121 or rparsons@tcnpress.com