Antelope Valley Mosquito

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Antelope Valley Mosquito Vector Control District

• Karen Mellor
• Entomologist

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What Does The AVMVCD Do?

• Mosquitoes
• Larval Surveillance and Control
• Adult Surveillance
• Disease Surveillance

• Africanized Honey Bees (AHB)
• Control
• Identification
• Surveillance

• Public Education
• Presentations
• News Releases
• Fair Exhibits

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Mosquito Life Cycle
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Mosquito Control In The AV

• Retention Basins
• Ditches Channels
• Curbs Gutters
• Swimming Pools
• Spas
• Leaking Faucets etc.
• Buckets, old tires, etc.

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Adult Mosquito Surveillance

• New Jersey light traps are placed throughout the
  District to catch mosquitoes
• Mosquitoes are identified and counted

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Mosquito Fish (Gambusia affinis)

• Mosquito fish are planted in basins and ditches
  that can support them
• Residents with potential mosquito breeding sites
  on their property (pond, unused pool, horse
  trough, etc.) can pick them up free of charge

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Mosquito-borne Diseases in California

• Western Equine Encephalitis
• St. Louis Encephalitis
• Dog Heartworm
• West Nile Virus

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Disease Surveillance

• Chicken coops are set in several areas within the
  District from April through October
• Blood samples are taken from the chickens every
  other week to check for encephalitis

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The New Virus in Town

• First identified in 1999 in New York
• About 4,000 human cases, with 254 deaths in 2002
• One unusual human case in Los Angeles
• 15,000 horses (4,300 ), 14,000 birds (corvids,
  raptors) affected in 2002

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West Nile Virus Transmission Cycle

• Mosquitoes transmit virus within bird populations
• Humans, horses and other animals are dead end
  host
• Newly found transmission
• Blood transfusion
• Organ transplant
• Intrauterine, Breast milk

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Symptoms

• Most people have no symptoms at all
• 20 develop West Nile Fever, with fever,
  headache, body aches, mild rash, swollen lymph
  glands
• 1 of 150 infected persons develop severe West
  Nile encephalitis or meningitis, with high fever,
  headache, neck stiffness, stupor, coma, muscle
  weakness and paralysis require hospitalization
• It can cause permanent neurological defects and
  can be fatal to elderly or immuno-suppressed
  persons

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Effects on Animals

• Birds
• Corvids (crows, ravens, etc) have highest
  mortality rates
• Other birds (incl. pets) are also affected, some
  without getting ill (e.g. chickens)
• Increasing numbers of raptors were picked-up sick
  or dead

• Horses
• 30 mortality rate
• Vaccine available (2 shots in 3-6 wks, yearly
  booster), effective after 5 wks
• Symptoms similar to WEE or rabies (head tilt,
  muscle tremors, paralysis, teeth grinding,
  blindness, etc.)

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West Nile Virus Surveillance

• What we will do
• Increase larval mosquito surveillance and control
• Adult mosquito surveillance
• Sentinel chickens will be screened for WNV
• Inform public with presentations, news releases,
  and online at avmosquito.org

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WNV Surveillance Continued

• What other agencies can do
• Eliminate standing water in public places (e.g.
  parks, street curbs)
• Maintain retention basins and roadside ditches
• Keep mosquito fish in basins and ditches
• Report problem areas, so they can be treated
  properly

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WNV Surveillance Continued

• What the public can do
• Eliminate standing water on their property
• Dead Bird Reporting
  1-877-WNV-BIRD or online at
  westnile.ca.gov
• Personal protection against mosquito bites
  (window screens, repellents, avoid outdoors at
  dusk and dawn)

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Health Safety CodeMosquito Abatement Vector
Control Districts

• Article 5, Section 2060 (b)
• The person or agency claiming ownership, , or
  who controls the diversion, , or flow of water
  shall be responsible for the abatement of a
  public nuisance that is caused by, that
  water.
• Section 2061 (5)
• Inform the owner that the failure to comply
  may result in the imposition of civil
  penalties of up to 1,000 per day .

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Annexation 2003

• Square off District
• Prevent diseases spreading from untreated
  niches
• Two of the fastest growing areas currently
  receive no services (Rancho Vista, Quartz Hill)
• Numerous basins with mosquito breeding in new
  developments