West Nile Virus detected in Bermuda Dunes
Four samples of mosquitoes collected this week have tested positive for West Nile virus, says The Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District PIO Jill Oviatt.
Oviatt stated in a news release Friday, that one sample came from a trap in Bermuda Dunes near the corner of Lima Hall Road and Starlight Lane. This is the first time this year that West Nile has been detected in Bermuda Dunes.
The other samples which tested positive for the virus were collected from Highway 111 and El Dorado Drive in Indian Wells, and the west shore of the Salton Sea off of Buchanan Street.
This brings the total number of West Nile Virus positive mosquito samples this year in the Coachella Valley to 91, making it the second highest number of positive samples detected in the Valley in the last decade. There were 105 positive samples detected at the same time in 2012.
There were also seven mosquito samples that tested positive for Saint Louis encephalitis virus this week in the Mecca and North Shore areas, bringing the number of positive samples this year to 21. All samples were tested at the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District lab.
“West Nile virus is still present in our community and we urge people to remain vigilant in protecting themselves and their families from mosquito bites,” said Jill Oviatt, Public Information Manager. “Mosquitoes capable of transmitting the disease normally bite from late evening to the early morning hours, so people need to have appropriate protection during this time to reduce their chances of getting what can be a very serious disease.”
The District says they will post disease notification signs in affected communities to alert residents. Staff will also set additional traps, increase larval surveillance to identify sources, and carry out larval and adult control as necessary in an effort to reduce the number of mosquitoes and interrupt further transmission of disease.
Residents are encouraged to be careful not to create standing water sources in their yards or irrigation runoff into street drains, and to be on the lookout for standing water sources and report them to the District. Residents are also encouraged to avoid mosquito bites by following simple personal protection measures.
Please contact the District at (760) 342-8287 or (888) 343-9399 to report mosquito problems, request mosquitofish, report neglected pools or standing water where mosquitoes breed, and report dead birds. Visit us online at www.cvmvcd.org .
