Ripon mosquito Found to have West Nile Virus

From the Manteca/Ripon Bulletin
June 14, 2019

West Nile Virus is here again. 

On Thursday, the San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District announced that mosquitoes that tested positive for the virus – which can be transmitted to humans and can be deadly in certain populations – have been discovered in San Joaquin County. 

The West Nile Virus positive mosquitoes were discovered in traps that were set in both Ripon and Tracy. 

The discovery and subsequent announcement of its arrival came less than a week before the disclosure that mosquitoes had tested positive for the virus last year on June 17. 

“This find serves as a reminder that mosquitoes carry disease that can harm humans. The District does its part in controlling mosquitoes; however, mosquito control is everyone’s responsibility,” said Aaron Devencenzi, Public Information Officer of the District. “Adult mosquito control activities will increase in accordance with our surveillance results.”

With last year being the worst year for concentration of the virus in and around San Joaquin County since 2014 – with a 125 percent spike in the number of confirmed cases of the virus in humans coming between August and September – spraying efforts continued well into the fall in order to eradicate the adult populations that transmit the virus.