St. Louis Encephalitis Detected in More Eastern Coachella Valley Mosquitoes

From MyNewsLA.com
July 18, 2018

More mosquitoes testing positive for St. Louis encephalitis have been located in the Eastern Coachella Valley, local vector control officials reported Wednesday.

Mosquitoes testing positive for the virus have been found in Mecca and North Shore, according to the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District.

Officials say that the positive samples were found in traps earlier this month near Grant Street and Avenue 71, as well as Johnson Street, near Avenue 70 in Mecca. In North Shore, officials collected positive samples from a trap near Cleveland Street and Avenue 72.

By this date last year, no positive St. Louis encephalitis samples had been found. This year, eight infected mosquitoes have been located in the Coachella Valley, all in Mecca and North Shore, according to the CVMVCD.

Helicopter spraying will be conducted in the evening hours, weather permitting from Monday to Wednesday in Mecca and North Shore.

The discovery also follows recent detections of West Nile virus in nine mosquitoes found in Palm Desert and Indian Wells, which led to increased mosquito spraying and trapping there.

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