Mosquitoes capable of spreading Zika detected in Rancho Mirage
Mosquitoes capable of transmitting harmful viruses like Zika and yellow fever have been found in Rancho Mirage, prompting a round of planned door-to-door inspections, local vector control officials said today.
Two Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae and four mosquito pupae were recently collected in a Rancho Mirage neighborhood, making it the eighth Coachella Valley city where the species has been detected, according to the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District.
District officials say the mosquitoes are capable of transmitting viruses like Zika, yellow fever, dengue and chikungunya, though those viruses are not currently being transmitted locally.
Door-to-door inspections will be carried out on an unspecified date at homes within a 450-foot radius of Gerald Ford Drive and Plumley Road, where the district’s technicians will search for and remove containers that can hold standing water in residential yards, a common breeding place for mosquitoes.
Notices will be sent out starting Wednesday to residents living in the inspection area.
District officials urged residents to drain or remove standing water sources to help mitigate the spread of the mosquitoes.
“Reducing the population of Aedes aegypti is the district’s man goal to prevent local transmission of the diseases they can transmit, but we cannot do it alone,” said Jeremy Wittie, CVMVCD general manager. “Populations of these mosquitoes peak in September and October. Residents play a vital role in reducing the abundance and distribution of this mosquito by draining or removing containers with standing water weekly and contacting the district if you suspect this black and white mosquito is present in your neighborhood.”
Residents can contact CVMVCD at (760) 342-8287 to report mosquito problems or neglected pools or standing water where mosquitoes breed.
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