Mosquitoes in Fresno test positive for West Nile. Here’s where, and how you can be safe

It’s another year, another warning about the dangers of mosquito bites in Fresno County.

The county’s department of public health announced Wednesday morning that adult mosquitoes collected in the city have tested positive for the West Nile Virus and residents should “should take every precaution to protect themselves and their families from mosquito bites.”

“This confirmation is a strong reminder that everyone should take this disease seriously,” Dr. Rais Vohra, the county’s Interim Health Officer, said in a statement.

Many people who contract the virus from a mosquito bite will have mild symptoms like stiffness and body aches, but West Nile can cause brain infections and death.

There were 12 West Nile related deaths in the state last year, according to the California Department of Public Health. One of those deaths was in Fresno County.

The mosquitoes in question were collected in the 93702 zip code of southeast Fresno as reported by the Fresno Mosquito and Vector Control District. That area runs from Olive avenue south to California Avenue and East Avenue to Chestnut.

As precaution, the health department says residents should report any instances of standing water or neglected pools to the local mosquito control district. You can find your specific district at www.fresnocountymosquito.org.

The department also used the announcement as its annual reminder of the three D’s.

Residents can prevent bites by apply insect repellent and weather proper clothing (deter), especially during the hours when mosquitoes are most active (dawn and dusk) and by eliminating sources of standing water that serve the mosquitoes’ breeding ground (drain).