West Nile Virus
West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne disease first detected in the United States in 1999. This disease is also found in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Canada, and Mexico. WNV first appeared in California in 2003 and by 2004, WNV had spread to all 58 counties. People can protect themselves by taking precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
Due to the cooler temperatures in Humboldt County the Culex tarsalis mosquito, the carrier of WNV, is not present in large numbers and its ability to transmit disease is greatly reduced. The Culex tarsalis mosquito is typically present in Humboldt County from mid June to the end of September. Members of the public are advised to take precautions to prevent getting bitten by mosquitoes especially when traveling to areas where WNV is known to exist in California.
For more information on West Nile in California, please visit http://westnile.ca.gov/
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