California is having its worst West Nile virus season in five years, and the mosquitoes driving it are breeding in backyards, not swamps.
Los Angeles and Orange counties account for at least 63 percent of the 378 human infections reported statewide this year, according to the California Department of Public Health, and officials say the true count is higher because county numbers outpace the state’s database.
The culprit is the female Southern House mosquito, a suburban specialist that breeds in the stagnant water found in neglected pools, plant saucers, birdbaths and clogged gutters.
Your yard is the front line
Unlike the marsh mosquitoes of old public-health campaigns, today’s West Nile vector lives where people live. That makes the homeowner, not the county spray truck, the most important line of defence. Drain standing water weekly, stock ornamental ponds with mosquito-eating fish, and keep gutters clear.
Most infected people never feel sick, but about one in five develops fever and aches, and older adults face the highest risk of severe neurological illness. There is no specific treatment, which is why prevention matters.
A national picture
California’s surge is part of a busy year for infectious disease. Our measles coverage tracked another record count, and this health news roundup shows the five-year high should end any complacency about a virus many assumed was under control.
The mosquitoes are not going away. The standing water can.
