West Nile virus found in mosquitoes in Sunnyvale, Santa Clara; Insecticide to be applied this week
A number of mosquitoes have tested positive for West Nile virus in portions of Sunnyvale and Santa Clara, prompting officials to announce the areas will be treated with insecticide later this week.
Santa Clara County Vector Control District said Tuesday the mosquitoes with the virus were found in the 94085, 94086, 94087 and 95051 area codes.
The district said that weather permitting, the areas will be treated with an insecticide targeting adult mosquito population, using truck-mounted equipment on Thursday starting around 10 p.m. and lasting for several hours.
"It is crucial that the District conduct mosquito control treatments upon finding a positive mosquito," stated a press release from the district. "Any delay in the application would present an imminent threat to public health and safety, exposing the public to potential injury, or even death, caused by a vector."
People who live in the zip codes in question were being notified through county alert texts, on the Nextdoor neighborhood app and on other social media platforms.
information on Zenivex, the insecticide to be applied, can be found at the Vector Control District's website at www.sccvector.org Questions about the mosquito spraying can be submitted on the district's dedicated West Nile Virus Hotline at (408) 282-3114, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Questions can also be sent to vectorinfo@cep.sccgov.org.
The district said the mosquito treatments pose minimal risk to people, pets, animals and the environment, and those who would like to take extra precautions can keep family members and pets inside during the approximately four-hour treatment, with windows and doors shut.
Since West Nile virus arrived in California in 2003, more than 7,000 people across the state have contracted the disease; nearly 400 of those cases were fatal. In 2022, there were 15 human WNV-related deaths; 2015 was a record year for fatalities in the state with 55 deaths.
The district said most people do not develop any symptoms after contracting West Nile virus. However, for some the virus can cause fever, headache, body aches and, in severe cases, significant neurological damage or death. People with chronic medical conditions and the elderly are most at risk for serious complications.