Posted on September 20, 2018

 MOSQUITO DISEASE ACTIVITY IN FIREBAUGH INTENSIFIES, DISTRICT CONDUCTING EVENING SPRAY OPERATIONS

FIREBAUGH, CALIFORNIA – The Fresno Westside Mosquito Abatement District is asking residents to take precautions to protect themselves from mosquito bites and prevent mosquito production after numerous detections of West Nile virus (WNV) and St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) in mosquito samples obtained in the City of Firebaugh.  In response, the District has been undertaking a series of evening operations utilizing ultra low volume applications of public health insecticides by both truck and airplane. These operations are being conducted throughout the city, are scheduled to start within an hour of sunset and will be repeated 3-4 days a week over the next few weeks.  For additional details, please contact the District. Residents are urged to remove any standing water around their property and to report any mosquito activity to the District.

To reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes and exposed to mosquito-borne viruses including SLEV or WNV, residents are urged to take the following precautions:

• Drain all sources of standing water around your home.  Remove unnecessary objects from around your home that can potentially hold water.
• Report observed sources of standing water (i.e. unmaintained swimming pools) and mosquito activity to the Fresno Westside Mosquito Abatement District (559) 659-2437 or at www.fresnowestmosquito.com..
• Irrigation water on farms and other lands should not be allowed to stand for more than four days.  
• Report dead birds to 877-WNV-BIRD (877-968-2473) or www.westnile.gov.
• Repair window and door screens to prevent mosquitoes from entering buildings.
• Wear long sleeves and pants if outdoors when mosquitoes are present.
• Use a repellent containing DEET, oil of lemon eucalyptus, picaridin or IR3535, as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Always read and follow the repellent label instructions.
• Stock mosquitofish in domestic water features, such as backyard ponds and horse troughs. The District will stock mosquitofish, at no cost, in water sources where they are likely to be effective.   

For more information on St Louis

California Department of Public Health:  https://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/discond/Documents/StLouisEncephalitisFactSheet.pdf

Center for Disease Control:  

https://www.cdc.gov/sle/

For more information on West Nile virus:

California Department of Public Health

http://westnile.ca.gov/

Center for Disease Control:

https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/index.html