Vector Control Officers Closely Monitor Mosquito Populations in SB County

The Santa Barbara County Vector Mosquito Control Authority is closely monitoring mosquito populations in the county, as these insects are expected to increase after this year’s heavy rains.

According to data fromCalifornia Department of Public Healthyellow fever and Asian tiger mosquitoes have been found in multiple counties in the state.

As of May 5, only yellow fever mosquitoes have been found in Santa Barbara County.

“Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water, where the eggs hatch and the larvae (larvae) develop. They can’t grow into mosquitoes, either,” said Brian Cabrera, general manager of the Santa Barbara County Mosquito and Vector Management District.

The Santa Barbara County Mosquito and Vector Control Area continues to be congested. Staff regularly go out to check for mosquito breeding and set traps weekly.

“We’ve seen areas that haven’t had water in a long time. ” added Cabrera.

Yellow fever and Asian tiger mosquitoes can transmit the virus.

“What you hear about is yellow fever, dengue, Zika virus, and chikungunya. But other febrile illnesses can cause severe symptoms,” said Dr Brian Roberts, MedStop’s medical director.

Experts say there is no reason to be alarmed at this time. There is currently no known transmission of these mosquito-associated viruses within California.

“The good news is that so far we haven’t had a so-called community-acquired case of people actually getting infected by an infected mosquito here in California,” Cabrera explained.

“As far as I know, all confirmed cases in the United States have been imported from foreign countries. We had a case of dengue at a medstop about 10 years ago, but we didn’t get it here and we need to.” “Always remember that it’s a mosquito vector. There’s no human-to-human transmission, so you don’t have to worry about getting it from someone else,” Dr. Roberts added.

Experts say it’s important to assess whether the location has a low or high risk of mosquitoes when planning to travel to another country.

“Permethrin clothing, that is, clothing that has been sprayed with permethrin or that has been designed with permethrin at the factory, is almost always suitable. If there is a lot of exposed areas, apply DEET, depending on skin sensitivity. Or you can use other repellent products,” Dr. Roberts said.

Cabrera said the last time yellow fever and Asian tiger mosquitoes were found in Santa Barbara County was in 2020.

The county undertook a large-scale hunt, but no hunts have taken place since May 2021.

Residents may report mosquito sightings or mosquito bites to the Santa Barbara County Mosquito and Vector Control Department by calling (805) 969-5050.

Another good tip is to check the CDC’s travel website to see which areas are at high risk for these mosquitoes.