Two invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were recently trapped in San Jose, marking the first time the “aggressive” species has been detected in Santa Clara County, officials said Monday.
The district is taking an “all-hands-on-deck approach” to eradicating the blood-sucking insects, which can transmit a host of diseases, including dengue, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever, although none of the viruses they carry have ever been transmitted in California, according to a county press release. The California Department of Public Health is testing the two mosquitoes for infection. While A. aegypti don’t fly far from where they hatch — less than 500 feet — they’re pugnacious, bite at all hours of the day and prefer humans over animals.
“We take this threat seriously and are doing everything we can to ensure A. aegypti does not become established in Santa Clara County,” Edgar Nolasco, director of the County’s Consumer and Environmental Protection Agency, said in the news release. “We ask the public to help by removing standing water on their properties and encourage residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites.”
The species, which likely originated in sub-Saharan Africa and can now be found in many tropical and subtropical climates, has been detected in at least 20 California counties, according to the state’s department of public health.
“We knew they would make their way to the Bay Area eventually due to climate change increasing temperatures as well as their preference for laying eggs in containers,” Nolasco wrote in an email to SFGATE. “The District had implemented strategic plans in anticipation of the invasive mosquito entering our county.”
Plants like bamboo and bromeliads — as well as everyday items like car tires — can help carry the population across county lines, according to Nolasco. “They are also capable of following humans into their cars, allowing travelers to potentially bring them back,” he wrote.
Ever since the striped black-and-white mosquitos were discovered in San Jose, near the intersection of Dixon Landing Road and McCarthy Boulevard, the district has been closely monitoring the situation, as well as laying traps for adults and removing their eggs.
To prevent the population from growing, officials are imploring Santa Clara County residents to dump out even the smallest containers with stagnant water, such as buckets, pet dishes and bird baths. Once a mosquito lays eggs in these containers, they can survive for a year without water.
“Mosquito and vector control are a community effort,” Nolasco wrote to SFGATE. “Once this mosquito is established, it is extremely hard to get rid of.”
Santa Clara County residents experiencing mosquito bites during the day should report them immediately to the Vector Control District at (408) 918-4770 or vectorinfo@cep.sccgov.org.