San Mateo County Officials Spraying For Mosquitos To Prevent West Nile Virus
SAN MATEO (CBS SF) -- County mosquito control officials will spray for mosquitoes in a roughly square-mile section of East San Mateo tonight to prevent the spread of West Nile virus, county officials said Wednesday.
Five dead birds that tested positive for West Nile virus have been found in San Mateo in June and July, raising concern about the spread of the disease, according to the San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District.
Two of the dead birds, both crows, were found in San Mateo on July 21 and 23. The other three were found in San Carlos, Portola Valley and Menlo Park.
The district also found mosquitoes carrying the virus in San Mateo on Friday.
The area around where the mosquitoes were found—in the 94402 zip code—will be sprayed with insecticide from trucks to help prevent the spread of the virus to humans, district officials said.
The fogging will take place between 9 p.m. today and 5 a.m.
The area that will be sprayed is roughly bordered by East Fifth Avenue, state Highway 92, Shoreview Avenue, Palm Avenue, Concar Drive and Roberta Drive, according to the district. More information and a map is available at www.smcmad.org.
The district will collect mosquitoes again once the fogging is complete and if West Nile is detected again, there may be more fogging.
West Nile virus is transmitted through mosquitoes and can be carried by birds, humans and horses. It is not transmissible from human to human.
Residents can help prevent the spread of the virus by using bug spray, eliminating standing water and calling the district if they notice mosquitoes.
The district also asks anyone who finds dead birds or squirrels to report them to www.westnile.ca.gov or by phone at 877-WNV-BIRD.
© Copyright 2014 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.