Area resident applying insect repellent. Repellents help prevent West Nile virus and other mosquito-transmitted diseases. [SGVMVCD/District]
Eliminating standing water sources, using insect repellents, and wearing protective clothing are the most effective ways for residents to protect themselves and their families from mosquito bites and mosquito-transmitted diseases like West Nile virus (WNV).
“It’s not just a mosquito bite,” said SGVMVCD Communications Director Anais Medina Diaz. “Using an insect repellent with one of the four CDC-recommended ingredients is an effective way to protect against debilitating, and sometimes fatal, mosquito-transmitted diseases.”
WNV is endemic in the San Gabriel Valley and is usually detected in the summer by local public health agencies. While there is no human vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend products with the active ingredients DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus as being safe and effective against mosquitoes.
Additionally, San Gabriel Valley residents face the aggressive, daytime biting, invasive Aedes mosquito. Although the District actively monitors and controls mosquitoes in known sources like gutters, storm drains, basins, and non-functioning pools as part of its year-round program, residents are urged to share the responsibility of mosquito control by eliminating standing water on their private properties.
“This year’s record-breaking winter storms may have filled up potential mosquito breeding sources throughout the region,” said Medina Diaz. “Under the right conditions, female mosquitoes only need three to five days to complete their life cycle and become biting adults.”
For more information, residents can contact the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District at 626-814-9466, online at SGVmosquito.org, or on social media: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
