From Pasadena Now
September 5, 2018
A mosquito sample collected this past week in the city of Arcadia has tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV), the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District (SGVMVCD) announced Tuesday.
The SGVMVCD has been routinely monitoring populations of adult mosquitoes using traps and tests groups of adult female mosquitoes for the presence of the virus and other mosquito-borne diseases. It also tests wild birds, such as crows, which can provide insight into the spread of the virus.
Recently, the District adopted the City of Pasadena under its vector control jurisdiction, adding strength to the Pasadena Public Health Department’s efforts to eradicate disease-carrying mosquitoes.
Year-to-date, SGMVCD has confirmed the presence of West Nile virus in one dead bird and one mosquito sample in its jurisdiction.
“Autumn may be around the corner, but don’t let that fool you into thinking mosquitoes are gone,” Levy Sun, SGVMVCD’s public information officer, said. “Mosquitoes are opportunistic and, as long as the weather is warm, they will bite anyone who is not wearing repellent.”
Sun said their staff will continue to monitor mosquito sources in Pasadena and surrounding areas, and expand outreach activities to alert residents to the detection of the virus.