State health officials Friday reported that two Stanislaus County women are the first cases of West Nile Virus in the state for this year.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) officials said both women developed symptoms consistent with WNV. Neither were hospitalized, but both are at home recovering, the officials added.
Although WNV has not been documented in Long Beach this year, it has been detected in 19 of the state's 58 counties -- 52 positive birds, 107 positive mosquito samples, six chickens and one squirrel.
With the heavy rains this past season, the warmer weather has created conditions for mosquito breeding.
Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services officials are urging residents to take the following precautions:
-- Avoid mosquito-infested areas especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
-- Eliminate standing water, dumping or draining water in neglected ponds, birdbaths, fountains, buckets, old tires or anything that can hold water -- and become mosquito breeding sites.
-- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants outdoors whenever possible.
-- Use mosquito repellant with containing DEET, Picaridin, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus. Follow instructions; consult with your child's pediatrician for appropriate concentrations of DEET on children under the age of two.
-- Keep tight-fitting screens on doors and windows, and make sure they're in good condition.
Maintain swimming pools in proper working order; drain water from pool covers.
-- Limit the watering of lawns and outdoor plants to twice a week to avoid runoff.
-- Report dead birds or squirrels to the California Department of Health Services by calling 1-877-WNV-Bird or online at www.westnile.ca.gov.
For more details, contact the Long Beach's Vector Control Program at 562.570-4132 or online at www.longbeach.gov/health.
More details about WNV are available at www.westnile.ca.gov, or at the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile.
Joe Segura, a mild-mannered reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper, has covered Gotham City, er Long Beach, for 34 years. During his very, very long -- endless -- tenure, he's covered almost every beat, and he was the main writer for BeachWeek, which focused on life and lifestyles of the shoreline communities from downtown Long Beach to the Huntington Beach pier.
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