From the County of Santa Clara
September 20, 2022
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. – The County of Santa Clara Vector Control District has confirmed the presence of West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes in a small area that includes Mountain View, Los Altos Hills and Sunnyvale (ZIP codes 94024, 94040 and 94087). Weather permitting, this area will be treated to reduce adult mosquito populations with the use of truck-mounted equipment on Thursday, Sept. 22, starting around 10 p.m. and concluding a few hours later.
The District’s mosquito management program largely focuses on preventing mosquitoes from reaching the adult biting stage by proactively targeting immature stages of mosquitoes found in standing water. When a mosquito with West Nile Virus (WNV) is detected, however, the District takes the added step of conducting adult mosquito control treatment to reduce the mosquito population in the area, which decreases the risk of a WNV-human infection.
It is normal to see an increase in West Nile virus during the summer and early fall because mosquitoes thrive in warm weather. Although mosquitoes need water at each stage of life, they are still able to thrive during the drought conditions the state and county are seeing now.