Watch CBS News

Mosquitoes Carrying St. Louis Encephalitis Virus Found In Lodi

LODI (CBS13) — Mosquitoes carrying St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE) virus have been discovered in Lodi.

It's the first instance of the virus in San Joaquin County since a human case nearly 50 years ago.

Symptoms of the SLE virus include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and tiredness. Officials say the SLE virus is in the same family as the West Nile Virus, which is very active in the San Joaquin County mosquito population.

The San Joaquin County Vector Control District is now urging residents to protect themselves from mosquitoes. They say the higher temperatures cause the mosquito life cycle to speed up and increase the replication of the virus within their bodies.

You can protect yourself from mosquito bites by taking the following precautions:

  • Eliminate all sources of standing water on your property.
  • According to label instructions, when outdoors, apply insect repellent containing EPA-registered active ingredients, including DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535.

    Repellents keep mosquitoes from biting people.

  • Avoid spending time outside when mosquitoes are most active, at dawn and dusk, andespecially for the first two hours after sunset.
  • When outdoors in cooler weather, wear long pants, loose-fitting long-sleeved shirts, andother protective clothing.
  • Exclude mosquitoes from your home with tight-fitting screens on doors and windows.
  • Contact your veterinarian for information on vaccinating equine against WNV.
  • Report daytime biting mosquitoes or significant mosquito infestations to San Joaquin CountyMosquito & Vector Control District at www.sjmosquito.org, (209) 982-4675, 1-800-300-

    4675.

  • Report dead birds to 1-877-WNV-BIRD (1-877-968-2473) or www.westnile.ca.gov.

 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.