West Nile Virus Found in Pasadena Mosquitoes as County Records WNV Death, and State Activity Hits Five-Year High

Pasadena health officials are urging residents to guard against mosquito bites, with the season’s first West Nile virus-positive mosquito sample collected in the city on Aug. 13, LA County officials reporting a death from the virus, and state officials reporting the highest level of virus activity in California in five years.

August and September are typically peak periods for West Nile transmission, the Pasadena Public Health Department said in a news release Thursday. Los Angeles County confirmed its first local death from the virus the same day. No human case has been reported in Pasadena this year.

The Pasadena sample came from a routine surveillance trap, the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District reported as of Aug. 17. Altadena registered its first positive sample a month earlier, on July 23, and has three. District-wide the count stands at 63.

“As we enter peak transmission season, I urge everyone to take simple steps to prevent mosquito bites and eliminate standing water around their homes,” said Dr. Parveen Kaur, the city’s health officer.

The department recommends three steps it calls the “Three Ds”: use an EPA-registered repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535; wear long sleeves and pants outdoors at dawn and dusk and keep tight-fitting screens on doors and windows; and drain standing water from flowerpots, buckets and tires.

Most people infected develop no symptoms, but a small percentage can develop serious illness, Kaur said. Older adults and people with certain underlying conditions or weakened immune systems face greater risk.

Need to know: Report dead birds, which can help track where the virus is spreading, at westnile.ca.gov or 1-877-WNV-BIRD (968-2473). Prevention and surveillance information is at the same site. Call the Pasadena City Service Center weekdays at (626) 744-7311 or the vector control district at (626) 814-9466.