West Nile Mosquitoes Found In Costa Mesa
COSTA MESA (CBSLA) — Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District officials have found the first sample of mosquitoes infected with West Nile Virus in Costa Mesa.
The sample of mosquitoes was collected Aug. 27 from Fairview Park in Costa Mesa and the batch tested positive for the virus on Friday, said Heather Hyland of the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District.
Two Orange County residents, including a child, have been infected with the virus so far this season, Hyland said. The infections were in Anaheim and Huntington Beach.
As of Tuesday, 33 samples testing positive for West Nile Virus were found in Anaheim.
Samples were also found in other Orange County cities including:
- Four in Buena Park
- Five in Cypress
- 29 in Fullerton
- Nine in Garden Grove
- Five in Huntington Beach
- One in Irvine
- 11 in La Habra
- Three in Los Alamitos
- One in Orange
- Fiv in Santa Ana
- Two in Seal Beach
- Thee in Westminster
The district has also found 14 dead birds in the county testing positive for the virus with four in Anaheim, two each in Cypress, Fullerton, Huntington Beach and one each in Irvine, Lake Forest, Santa Ana and Tustin.
"These new invasive species are bringing a whole new ballgame to the field," she said. "They lay different eggs and come out during the day. And more people are at home during COVID, so they're seeing this more," Hyland said.
The most effective way to combat mosquitos is to dump out standing water.
Insect repellant is recommended, and if people are wary of chemicals, they can also use non-chemical treatments like oil of lemon eucalyptus, which emits an odor that repels mosquitoes.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)