Warmer days bring another health threat to Stanislaus County. Here’s how to avoid it.
People who spent the past 13 months avoiding a case of COVID-19 could also take some precautions against the West Nile virus.
Stanislaus County health officials said Monday that warmer spring weather will bring out mosquitoes able to transmit West Nile illness.
In comparison to 54,247 cases of COVID-19 in this county since March 2020, the West Nile virus resulted in 36 confirmed cases in the last calendar year.
But for the unlucky few, West Nile may cause debilitating neurological disease resulting in hospitalization, long-term health effects or death.
The National Weather Service is predicting temperatures in Modesto rising to 90 degrees Thursday and Friday, creating conditions for mosquitoes to rapidly multiply. West Nile is spread by mosquito bites and typically cases emerge in late spring and summer in the Northern San Joaquin Valley.
“Preventing opportunities for mosquitoes to breed around your home can help protect you and your family,” David Heft, general manager of Turlock Mosquito Abatement District, said in a news release.
Heft advised residents to look around their homes for standing water in buckets, flower pots, pet bowls and bird baths. Draining those items will reduce the number of mosquitoes around the home.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of West Nile infection include headache, fever, body aches and fatigue, which may last for weeks. The illness is severe and life-threatening in a smaller number of cases (1 in 150), with a high fever, stiff neck, fatigue, vomiting, disorientation, tremors or paralysis.
Older people and those with underlying medical conditions are more vulnerable to the illness.
Horses can also be infected. In addition, the county had one human case of St. Louis encephalitis last year, another disease spread by mosquitoes.
West Nile is carried by common Culex mosquitoes and an invasive species called Aedes aegypti that was detected in Stanislaus County in 2019. The more invasive species is known for breeding in standing water on residential properties, according to local abatement districts.
The Eastside Mosquito Abatement District and the Turlock district provide mosquitofish to help property owners control larvae in ponds, water troughs, neglected swimming pools or ornamental water features.
Residents hoping to avoid West Nile can take other precautions:
▪ Scrub pet bowls every few days to remove mosquito eggs.
▪ Apply insect repellent before going outdoors. Mosquitoes are more active near dawn and dusk.
▪ Keep screens on windows and doors in good repair.
Repair leaky faucets and clean rain gutters.
Stanislaus County residents in the Modesto, Riverbank and Oakdale areas can report mosquito problems to the East Side Mosquito Abatement District at (209) 522-4098.. The Turlock Mosquito Abatement District serving Turlock, Ceres, Hughson and the West Side communities can be reached at (209) 634-1234.
This story was originally published April 26, 2021 at 1:49 PM.
