Invasive yellow fever mosquito species from SoCal found in Bay Area
CONCORD -- The yellow fever mosquito, an invasive species that bites during the day, has been confirmed in Contra Costa County, the Mosquito and Vector Control District said Friday.
The district, which found the first signs of the breed earlier this week, is asking the public to report encounters with the aggressive mosquito, which typically bites around the legs and ankles. It is small and black, with white stripes on its back and legs.
"In areas with established populations, particularly in Southern and Central California, these mosquitos have changed the quality of life," Steve Schutz, the district's scientific programs director, said in a press release.
The mosquito can transmit several dangerous diseases to people when it bites, including dengue fever and Zika virus, Schutz said.
"They are well-adapted to living in small water-filled containers like plant saucers in urban and suburban backyards," he said.
The yellow fever mosquitos, whose scientific name is Aedes aegypti, were captured during additional surveillance following the discovery of the first insect in north Concord earlier this week.
The discovery triggered the district to conduct door-to-door inspections and treatments in the area.
"Due to the high nuisance potential and disease risks associated with these mosquitos, the district is working very hard to find and eradicate them, but we need the public's help," Schutz said.
Contra Costa County residents can report the mosquitos and ask for the district's mosquito service at (925) 685-9301 or visit ContraCostaMosquito.com.
Finding the yellow fever mosquitos came as another group of mosquitos, trapped in Martinez this week, tested positive for West Nile virus, the district said.
An East County man died from West Nile virus on July 16, marking the first death from the disease reported in Contra Costa County since 2006.