The County of Santa Clara Vector Control District has confirmed the presence of West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes in a small area of Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and San Jose (ZIP Codes 95054, 94089 and 95002). Weather permitting, this area will be treated to reduce adult mosquito populations with the use of truck-mounted equipment on Thursday, Aug. 4, starting around 10 p.m. and concluding a few hours later.
The District’s mosquito management program largely focuses on preventing mosquitoes from reaching adulthood by proactively targeting immature stages of mosquitoes (eggs, larvae and pupae). When a mosquito with West Nile Virus (WNV) is detected, however, the District takes the added step of conducting a mosquito control treatment to reduce the adult mosquito population in the area, which lowers the risk of a WNV-human infection.
It is normal to see an increase in West Nile virus during the summer, because mosquitoes thrive in hot weather. The District has a dedicated surveillance program to detect the presence of diseases like West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis, and western equine encephalitis, all of which are transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes. The data collected through surveillance is used to predict locations that are more likely to have these disease-transmitting mosquitoes.
The District has been conducting truck-mounted treatments regularly since 2003 to successfully reduce WNV-transmitting mosquito populations. It fogged another area of Santa Clara and Sunnyvale in July. The District will be adhering to requirements and recommendations from the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department for COVID-19.
Notice is being sent directly to the public in the treatment ZIP codes in Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and San Jose through AlertSCC and to those who subscribe to Nextdoor neighborhood networks. General notice is being provided on various social media platforms – including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter(@SCCVCD) – and to those subscribed to the District’s mosquito treatment notifications.
Vector Control staff will be available to answer any questions from the public, Monday–Friday, on the dedicated West Nile Virus Hotline at (408) 282-3114, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Questions can also be submitted by email to vectorinfo@cep.sccgov.org.
West Nile Virus Mosquito Fogging Area
The specific details of the operational areas are:
- Treatment date: Thursday, Aug. 4, around 10 p.m., for approximately four hours
- Supervisorial Districts: District 3 and 4
- Cities: Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and San Jose
- Centered at: Tasman Drive and Calabazas Creek
- Bordered by: North – E. Caribbean Drive, Mountain View Alviso Road, America Center Drive, American Center Court, Gold Street Connector and State Route 237; East – Lafayette Street, Tasman Drive, Patrick Henry Drive and Great America Parkway; South – Highway 101; West – Greenlake Drive, Calle Alfredo, Tasman Court, First Street, O Street and E. Moffett Park Drive
- ZIP Codes affected: Parts of 95054, 94089 and 95002
Interactive map: https://arcg.is/qavPq
There is no need to relocate during the treatment. Mosquito treatments pose minimal risk to people, pets, animals and the environment when applied by a licensed vector control professional following label instructions. Those who would like to take extra precautions can keep family and pets inside during the treatment, with windows and doors shut during the duration of the control treatment (approximately four hours). By sunrise, the insecticide will quickly break down with the sunlight. Since the District applies insecticides at ultra-low volume (ULV), individuals aren’t likely to breathe or touch anything that has enough insecticide on it to be harmful. Those with chemical sensitivities may want to consult their physicians for additional recommendations. All control materials utilized in our mosquito control program are approved by the Federal and State environmental protection agencies and are widely used by vector control agencies throughout California.
For more information on the products used for this mosquito control treatment, including the safety data sheet, insecticide label and a list of our most frequently asked questions, please visit our website at www.sccvector.org. For additional information on adulticides, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at www.cdc.gov. For information on West Nile virus activity in California, please visit www.westnile.ca.gov.