Officials Brace For Possible Cases Of Zika With Outbreak Of New Aggressive Mosquito In SoCal
LAKE BALBOA (CBSLA.com) — Los Angeles residents already have to worry about quakes, mudslides, wild fires and horrible traffic.
But officials worry a new type of mosquito, the Aedes,could soon add Zika to that list.
It only takes a cap full of water for larva to grow and mosquitoes to breed.
CBS2's Craig Herrera says that because of all the rain we just had, this season could be especially bad for bites.
Sean Rotramel and his wife are hoping to add to their family. He says he and his wife have avoided travel particularly to avoid things like Zika, that can cause disabilities, birth defects and neurological problems.
"Yeah, terrified. Me and my wife are trying for another baby and we've put tons of vacation plans on hold," Rotramel said.
Officials say he has a right to be concerned about Aedes.
"They have the potential to spread different viruses like Zika virus, yellow fever and even dengue," said Levy Sun of the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District.
And unlike the native mosquito that carries the West Nile, aedes are invasive and look different.
They're black and white, they're aggressive and bite during the daytime and they don't lay their eggs in standing water.
"They lay their eggs onthe stock of plants and on the side of containers which means even if you dump out the water, those eggs could still be present," said Sun.
And aedes are not the only insect that has people jumping.
Be on the lookout for the crane fly.
"We call them mosquito eaters but apparently they don't eat mosquitoes," said Rotamel, "we have about 30,000 flying around out house."
Crane flies are about the size of a quarter and the good news is, they're harmless.
They pop up every spring and fall.
Vector control is out and about around the county including places like the Sepulveda Basin and Lake Balboa.