From the Palm Desert Patch
July 9, 2019
COACHELLA VALLEY, CA — With potentially deadly mosquito-borne viruses continuing to be detected in the Coachella Valley, vector control officials will carry out additional pesticide spray applications Tuesday.
The total number of positive samples for West Nile virus in the Coachella Valley so far this year is 284 — more than the last four years combined, Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District spokeswoman Tammy Gordon said. Mosquitoes carrying St. Louis encephalitis virus have also been detected.
Both illnesses are transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. There have been no reported human cases of either illness in the region this year.
Most infected people will have no symptoms, but others can develop fever, headaches, and body aches, Gordon said. Hospitalization is required in some cases, and in rare cases the diseases can be fatal.