Drought linked to West Nile Virus

Our warmer-than-usual winter has a pesky side effect: mosquito season is already in full swing.

“We’re catching about three times what we normally get for this time of year,” said Jeremy Wittie, scientific operations manager at the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District.

“I think it could be scary I guess with diseases that are spread by mosquitoes,” said Jennifer Clark of Palm Springs.

Diseases like West Nile Virus. 2014 was a record year for WNV, with more than 800 people infected across the state.

“Three-fourths of those cases were the neuroinvasive cases of the disease, which causes encephalitis and brain swelling,” Wittie warned.

Symptoms are similar to the flu and officials say the disease can be very dangerous, especially for those with weaker immune systems including the elderly and the very young.

“In terms of mosquitoes and breeding I’m scared to death of West Nile,” said Linda Jeffers of Rancho Mirage.

Mosquitoes are attracted to standing water, so it seems counterintuitive that during this historic drought the threat of West Nile is actually higher. But officials say that’s exactly the case.

“When you have a reduction of water, you have mosquitoes pushed to one area and you have birds using the same water source,” Wittie points out. “And when you put the vector, the mosquito, and the bird, which can host the virus, in close proximity, you have a greater likelihood of that cycle happening.”

Officials say three things can keep the disease-carrying pest at bay. Just remember the three D’s:

1. DEET at dusk and dawn
2. Dump and drain
3. Drought restrictions: follow them.

“Wear DEET if you’re outside at dusk and dawn, dump and drain if you have sources of water in your backyard and lastly water restrictions: if you can reduce that irrigation runoff you’ll be doing your part to reduce mosquito population in your neighborhood,” Wittie said.

The CVMVCD is kicking off “West Nile Virus and Mosquito Control Awareness Week” this Sunday at Westfield Mall in Palm Desert.

From noon to 4 p.m., the main hall on the first level of the mall will have a “Fight the Bite” photo booth, live mosquito and mosquitofish displays, an interactive video game and education materials on the prevention of West Nile Virus.