West Nile Virus returns to the state, Stanislaus County

From The Turlock Journal
June 19, 2018

The threat of mosquito-borne illnesses like West Nile Virus and St. Louis Encephalitis has the Turlock Mosquito Abatement District engaging in an aggressive strategy to rid the region of as many of the virulent pests as possible.

The effort has become more critical as yellow fever mosquitoes were found in Merced County last season and the radius in which they were found is growing. This mosquito, Aedes aegypti, is capable of transmitting several human diseases, including dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika. Since 2013, Aedes aegypti has been detected in 13 other California counties, primarily south of Merced.

“That’s got our red flag up,” said TMAD General Manager David Heft.

Moreover, the California Department of Public Health announced four people in Southern California have been confirmed as having West Nile Virus.

Read more