You can’t hide anywhere from these killer mosquitoes
The mosquito that carries the Zika virus is now in all five counties in the central San Joaquin Valley.
The Merced County Mosquito Abatement District said Monday that it has identified the Aedes aegypti mosquito in the city of Merced. And on Monday, Tulare County officials said the mosquito has been found in the city of Tulare.
In August, Kings County mosquito officials said they had identified the mosquito.
The mosquito has become established in Fresno, Clovis, Madera, and it has also been found in Exeter.
This is the 14th county in California to have identified the mosquito, which can carry dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever – in addition to zika.
Zika has received widespread attention because it can cause severe birth defects and adults can have serious neurological problems.
Merced and Tulare county mosquito control officials said they will be doing door-to-door inspections for standing water where mosquitoes can breed. Fogging will begin immediately in infestation areas.
People can call the Merced mosquito district at 209-722-1527 or visit the district web site.
The Tulare district can be reached at 559-686-6628.
Barbara Anderson: 559-441-6310, @beehealthwriter
This story was originally published September 25, 2017 at 6:18 PM with the headline "You can’t hide anywhere from these killer mosquitoes."