West Nile Virus Hitting San Diego County

Looks like three new reported cases of West Nile Virus were confirmed in San Diego County last week, according to the westnile.ca.gov website. Typically, the West Nile virus begins showing up in late Spring and early Summer, when mosquitoes begin hatching, and lasts into the Fall. Mosquitoes feed on birds who carry the virus, and then in turn infect humans from a subsequent bite. Two factors indicate that this could be a bad year for West Nile: drought and foreclosed/abandoned homes.

Deborah Bass, of the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector District in Northern California warns, “In drought years, West Nile is worse. The reason being is that when things dry up, little puddles can breed more mosquitoes. Mosquitoes can breed in just a couple of tablespoons of water.” In addition to puddles hiding in shady areas or around creeks, stagnant water in buckets, sand toys, birdbaths, and other shallow receptacles can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Be sure to thoroughly rinse outdoor items, turning them upside down to drain and dry all the water.

Less easily controlled is the number of vacant homes where pools, hot tubs, and standing water go undisturbed and untended. With the large number of foreclosures that San Diego has and continues to experience, this could be a particularly difficult problem. Lenders care little about foreclosed properties, and hazards can go unchecked for months while they wade through the backlog of repossessed homes. Smart real estate agents will tour properties and rectify issues like these, sometimes at their own expense, but this is the exception rather than the rule. While neighbors may want to band together to keep vacant homes looking nice, doing yard work, watering lawns, etc., technically this is trespassing and is not advised under any circumstances.

What you can do? Well, if you see a dead bird or want to report an abandoned or neglected pool, you should contact the county environmental health agency. For more information and to learn about the Fight the Bite program, you can check out this San Diego County website.