Not all mosquitoes are the same. While some are harmless except for a little itching, certain species can carry disease. One such species, which is invasive in California, has just been detected in Contra Costa County for the first time in two years, ABC7 San Francisco reports.
What's happening?
The bug in question is the Aedes aegypti mosquito, also called the yellow fever mosquito. It is not native to California and has become invasive in the last 10 years.
According to ABC7, yellow fever mosquitoes are stealthy. They usually stay low to the ground and bite people below knee level. The Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District detected them by testing the area's water for eggs and larvae.
Thankfully, the department has only found one yellow fever mosquito so far. However, the species is difficult to get rid of due to its sticky eggs, which cling to containers even when the water is emptied and reactivate when water returns.
"You literally have to scrub them off," Nola Woods of the CCMVCD said, per ABC7.
Why are yellow fever mosquitoes important?
Unfortunately, yellow fever mosquitoes can carry several diseases, including dengue fever, chikungunya, and the Zika virus.
"It raises the alarm because where there is one, there is likely more," Woods told ABC7.
UCSF infectious disease specialist Dr. Peter Chin-Hong warned residents to watch for cases of unusual diseases. In particular, be on alert for flu-like symptoms, headaches, muscle cramps, and fatigue after a mosquito bite.
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"It reflects the reality of climate change; it reflects the reality of diseases being spread in areas that don't normally see it," he said, per ABC7.
What can I do about yellow fever mosquitoes?
Chin-Hong recommended using insect repellent to minimize bites and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants. You can also empty any standing water around your home and scrub the affected surfaces to get rid of eggs.
"And avoiding dusk and dawn in general. That's the time when mosquitoes generally feed the most," Chin-Hong told ABC7.
The county will also try to prevent yellow fever mosquitoes from getting a foothold. "We will continue to look and continue to mitigate that issue because they are not mosquitoes you want in your community," Woods told ABC7.
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