As summer quickly approaches, San Benito County still has no
funding available to fight West Nile virus
– the sometimes deadly disease carried by mosquitos – even
though health officials have predicted Northern California likely
will be hit hard by the disease this year.
Hollister – As summer quickly approaches, San Benito County still has no funding available to fight West Nile virus – the sometimes deadly disease carried by mosquitos – even though health officials have predicted Northern California likely will be hit hard by the disease this year.
Local officials, however, plan to begin mosquito abatement measures in 31 County Service Areas such as Ridgemark, Cielo Vista and Holiday Estates in about two weeks with the help from the North Salinas Valley Mosquito Abatement District. By reducing the number of mosquitos that could potentially carry the disease, which primarily affects humans, birds and horses, health officials hope to lower the risk for local residents.
Employees with the abatement district will place larvacide briquettes throughout the county in areas with standing water where mosquitos typically breed. The larvacide, while nontoxic, kills the mosquitos before they hatch and should help lower the risk of West Nile in the county, according to Assistant Public Works Director Peter Corn.
While residents within the County Service Areas will be charged for the larvacide briquettes being placed in the storm drains, Corn said, it will be a minimal fee tacked onto their tax bill.
First discovered in the United States in New York in 1999, West Nile Virus has quickly spread to 44 states and was detected in California in 2002. The mosquito-borne disease can infect both humans and animals, such as birds and horses. About 80 percent of people infected with the virus won’t have any symptoms, however severe symptoms in about one in every 150 infected humans can include convulsions, coma, vision loss and paralysis. Milder symptoms in up to 20 percent of infected humans can include fever, headache, nausea and vomiting, according to the West Nile Virus Web site.
In 2002, mosquitoes were discovered carrying the disease in southern California, causing some locals to worry the virus would make its way up-state. While San Benito County got away with only a few dead birds and no human infections last year, officials at the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California have predicted the virus will be centered in Northern California and the Central Valley this year.
Although 16 dead birds have been turned into the county under suspicion of being infected by the virus this year, county health department director Dr. Elizabeth Falade said none of them have tested positive for the West Nile virus.
Falade said the county’s West Nile Task Force is continuing to meet monthly to discuss ways to educate residents and stop the possible spread of the virus, even though there is no funding available to do full-blown abatement in the county.
“Wherever there is standing water it’s a concern, and residents will have to do whatever they can to protect themselves because there will be no spraying,” Falade said. “Everybody needs to watch their own environment.”
A vaccine for the virus is only available for horses, which should be updated every year.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture said horse owners need to be especially vigilante this year about getting their animals vaccinated. While there were no cases of West Nile Virus in horses in San Benito, Santa Clara or Monterey counties last year, the director of public affairs for CDFA said equine owners need to act now to protect their animals. On Wednesday, California health officials reported the first case of equine West Nile virus infection in Plumas County.
“If horses have already been vaccinated, they should contact their veterinarian to make sure all West Nile virus vaccines are current,” said Director Steve Lyle. If they have not been vaccinated, they should see their veterinarians right away, he said. Horses do not pass the disease on to other horses or humans, but it is spread via mosquitoes who contract the disease from birds.
Falade said the virus hasn’t hit San Benito County yet, but that the unusually wet winter has jump-started mosquito season and it should peak from July to September. And although there is no program in place yet, Falade said health department personnel are keeping their fingers crossed that the Board of Supervisors will give them some direction, and maybe even some funding, in the near future to put one in place.
“We are not helpless. People can take care of standing water, wear mosquito repellent and long sleeves,” she said. “Hopefully we can make some other moves soon.”
Anyone with a dead bird or large number of mosquitos on their property should contact the San Benito County Environmental Health Department at (831) 636-4035. The state of California also has a Web site westnile.ca.gov that has tips as well as the latest information on infections by county.
Melissa Flores contributed to this report
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or em*******@fr***********.com
