Officials confirm first West Nile mosquitoes in California city and urge residents to protect themselves

Mosquito season is becoming more serious in Clovis, California, after local officials confirmed the first West Nile virus-positive mosquito samples of the year.

The discovery is prompting renewed warnings for residents to protect themselves, especially during peak mosquito activity at dawn and dusk.

What happened?

The Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District detected West Nile virus in mosquito samples from Clovis. District Manager Jodi Holeman confirmed the positive samples Thursday and said the finding marks the point in the season when residents should begin taking stronger personal precautions, according to yourcentralvalley.com.

So far, the only confirmed positive mosquito samples have been found in Clovis. Still, Holeman said people in other parts of the region should not assume they are in the clear, warning that virus-carrying mosquitoes could also be present in nearby communities.

This comes at a time when Google's Verily Debug team is seeking approval to release 32 million non-biting male mosquitoes in parts of California and Florida over a two-year period. The goal is to reduce mosquito populations that can spread disease using males infected with a sterilizing bacteria.

The station also reported that Holeman said her office worked with Verily in Fresno County from 2017 to 2019 and released tens of millions of mosquitoes with strong results. According to her, the strategy led to "upwards of 95% suppression" of wild mosquito populations.

The confirmation points to local virus activity before many residents may realize the risk has increased. A positive mosquito sample does not mean every neighborhood faces the same level of exposure, but it does show the virus is circulating.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says most people infected with West Nile remain asymptomatic. However, a severe infection can result in damage to the central nervous system, chronic illness, or death.

What can I do?

For now, officials are emphasizing basic protective measures rather than announcing a new program. Holeman said residents should use insect repellent and take extra care during dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are often most active.

She also urged people across the valley to remove standing water near their homes, calling it the main breeding ground for mosquitoes.

While the district does not currently plan another mosquito release, Holeman said she would be open to working together again. The earlier effort relied on releasing male mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia, a bacterium incompatible with the wild population that helps reduce reproduction over time.

"This week, we had our first confirmed positives for West Nile virus. So, it is now the time of the year when we want people to take personal protective measures. Use insect repellent. Dawn and dusk, preferably," Holeman said.

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