Mosquitoes Test Positive For West Nile Virus

From the San Francisco News
August 17, 2020

CONTRA COSTA—On Friday, August 14, the Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District announced that they found a group of mosquitoes that tested positive for the West Nile Virus near Byron in Contra Costa County.

According to Steve Schutz, the District’s Scientific Programs Manager said in a statement:

“August and September are the peak months for human cases of West Nile virus. Dead birds, especially crows and jays, are often a good early indication that West Nile virus is present in a particular area. Birds can be carriers of West Nile virus.”

The statement noted that two people died after contracting West Nile, and 66 people have been diagnosed with the virus in Contra Costa County since 2005. West Nile Virus causes fever, which is mostly transmitted by Culex, one of the mosquito species.

Read more