Mosquito Spraying to Continue in Mecca Due to “Persistent Virus Activity”
A mosquito capable of transmitting deadly diseases has made its home in an area around about 900 Mecca homes since first being discovered in the city last fall, local vector control officials said today.
The Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can transmit diseases like Zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever, was first detected in the city last October, prompting several rounds of spraying applications so far to try and stem the species’ spread, according to the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector
Control District.
Starting this Saturday, five weekly early morning applications will be conducted in the area bordered by Lincoln Street, Avenue 65, Avenue 66 and Johnson Street, CVMVCD officials said. Notifications were sent to residents within the application area and signs will be posted this week.
Officials say that many of the diseases the mosquito is capable of transmitting have not been detected in the state so far, but local transmission can begin if an infected person returns to the Coachella Valley from somewhere where there is active transmission of the disease.
“If that person is then bitten by one of these mosquitoes here, that mosquito can then infect local residents,” the CVMVCD said in a statement.
Spraying is conducted with VectoBac WDG, which officials say has no effect on people or pets at the amounts used for mosquito control.
In addition to numerous spraying applications over the past year, officials say they have also conducted about 1,600 door-to-door inspections at Mecca homes, as well as held community health clinics.
CVMVCD staff will also be conducting public outreach this month, including mosquito prevention training for Coachella Valley Unified School District staff and a presentation at the upcoming Mecca-North Shore Community Council regarding the planned applications.
Any local mosquito problems should be reported to CVMVCD at (760) 342- 8287.
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