The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District says 27 new mosquito samples and 20 dead birds tested positive for the West Nile Virus on Wednesday as officials have continued to monitor increasing virus activity throughout Sacramento County over the last few weeks.
The areas where the virus was found Wednesday include Elk Grove, in addition to the Pocket and neighborhoods south of Fruitridge Road in Sacramento. This comes after lab results showed a already widespread presence.
“Virus activity in these areas continues to be intense,” said Gary Goodman, District Manager, in a press release. “At this moment, with the virus at such elevated levels, we are considering urban aerial spraying to quickly reduce the abundance of adult infected mosquitoes that can pose a threat to the health of our residents.”
Staff in the field have been working extended hours in order to properly investigate many areas, including parks, trails, creeks and drainage canals.
“Activity is high and we are increasing our ground efforts to keep the virus from escalating,” added Goodman in a separate release.
The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District says new lab results are expected to be ready Friday to determine if aerial spraying will be utilized to combat the issue to public health.
In the meantime, there are steps you can take to protect yourself.
"Draining all sources of stagnant water around the home and personal protection from mosquito bites by always wearing a good mosquito repellent when spending time outdoors continue to be very important,” Goodman said.
2018 West Nile virus activity:
- Sacramento County: 119 mosquito samples and 67 dead birds have tested positive for West Nile virus to date.
- Yolo County: 7 mosquito samples and 6 dead birds have tested positive for West Nile virus to date.
