Mosquito spraying scheduled this weekend in Cathedral City
Cathedral City will be sprayed by The Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District to decrease the mosquito population.
Officials said it will take place on Saturday, September 14th between 12:00 am and 5:00 am within the boundaries of Avenida Maravilla (west), Tachevah Drive (north), Santoro Drive (east), and McCallum Way (south).
The Vector Control District applications will help eliminate the Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae commonly known as the ankle bitter mosquito. Aedes aegypti mosquitos are small black and white insects that transmit viruses such as chikungunya, yellow fever, dengue, and Zika.
Populations of these mosquitoes’ peak in September and October. The District advises avoiding all possible standing water sources where mosquitos lay eggs.
“Reducing the population of Aedes aegypti is the District’s main goal to prevent local transmission of the viruses they can transmit, but we cannot do it alone,” says Jeremy Wittie, General Manager for the District.
Residents planning to travel to areas with active transmission can protect themselves from mosquito bites by applying repellents containing EPA-registered ingredients and wearing long-sleeve shirts, pants, socks, and shoes.
Upon returning home, the CDC recommends wearing mosquito repellent for an additional three-week period to prevent potentially infecting local mosquitoes. Individuals infected with these viruses may experience symptoms, such as fever, headache, joint pain, muscle aches, seizures, rashes, and in rare cases, death. If experiencing any of these symptoms, the district encourages to contact a medical provider.
