West Nile Mosquitoes Found In San Jose, SCC; Treatment Planned Tuesday

SAN JOSE, CA — Crews with the Vector Control District will be working in a small area of San Jose and unincorporated Santa Clara County on Tuesday night after detecting the presence of West Nile virus in mosquito populations.

The county confirmed the detection Friday and announced plans to perform targeted mosquito-control treatments Tuesday in the 95124 and 95118 ZIP codes. Crews using truck-mounted equipment will begin work at 10 p.m. and should wrap up within a few hours, officials said.

Tuesday's treatments follow a similar operation carried out last week after West Nile was detected in some mosquitoes in Sunnyvale. The district has successfully utilized truck-mounted treatments to target adult mosquito populations in the county since 2003.

Here are the details:

Treatment date: Tuesday, Aug. 22, around 10 p.m., for a few hours
Supervisorial districts: Districts 1 and 4
Cities: San José and unincorporated Santa Clara County
Centered at: Noreen Drive and Kirk Road
Bordered by:

• North – Foxworthy Avenue, Balsa Avenue, Willow Creek Drive, Babero Avenue, Hillsdale Avenue and Willowmont Avenue
• East – Marks Avenue, Jarvis Avenue, Sutcliff Avenue and Meridian Avenue
• South – Portobelo Drive, Tobias Drive and Rosswood Avenue
• West – Leigh Avenue, Wyrick Avenue, Camden Avenue and Lenray Lane

ZIP codes affected: 95124 and 95118.
Interactive map: https://arcg.is/bDb8X0

County officials note it is normal to see an uptick in West Nile virus during summer and early fall as mosquitoes thrive in warm weather, and the Vector Control District maintains a surveillance program to quickly detect diseases, including West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis, and western equine encephalitis — all of which can be transmitted through bites from infected mosquitoes.

Since its first detection in the Golden State in 2003, officials said more than 7,000 people have contracted the disease, and nearly 400 cases were deadly. There were 15 deaths linked to West Nile Virus in the state last year. While the infection may not cause symptoms in most people, in others it can cause a fever, headaches, and body aches. In severe cases, people can experience significant neurological damage or death.

Residents living in the affected ZIP codes can expect to receive alerts via AlertSCC, along with an email to residents who are registered through the Registrar of Voters.

Anyone who is being bothered by mosquitoes or with information about a potential mosquito breeding ground can call the Vector Control District at 408-918-4770 or submit an online request.