Six mosquito samples from routine collection sites and extra surveillance traps have tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV) this week in Coachella Valley, California. This brings the total number of WNV-positive samples to 97 for 2024. One sample was collected near the intersection of Bob Hope Drive and Palm Crest Drive in Rancho Mirage, while additional positive samples were found in Thermal.
The Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District is monitoring areas showing high concentrations of WNV activity. The District’s Mosquito-Borne Virus Surveillance and Emergency Response Plan targets control applications where the risk of WNV transmission is greatest. Using this plan, the District will evaluate adult mosquito control within urban areas.
“Residents can do their part, and help their neighbors, by dumping and draining any standing water around their homes. No water, no mosquitoes. Mosquito control is a community effort,” emphasized Salvador Becerra, Field Supervisor for the District.
Residents are urged to take proactive measures against mosquitoes by using EPA-registered insect repellents containing at least thirty percent DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535—not essential oils. More information about response efforts and protective tips can be found on the District’s website.
Preventive measures include avoiding outdoor activities during dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active, wearing insect repellent with EPA-registered ingredients as directed on product labels, checking window and door screens to prevent mosquito entry into homes, regularly cleaning lawn drains to remove water and debris, preventing irrigation runoff into street-side catch basins, inspecting yards for standing water sources such as under potted plants or bird baths, cleaning pet dishes weekly, maintaining swimming pools with working pumps, and ensuring ponds and fountains receive regular maintenance.
West Nile Virus spreads when a female mosquito bites an infected bird; the mosquito then becomes a carrier capable of transmitting the virus to humans.