A two-block area of San Diego’s Mount Hope neighborhood will be sprayed for mosquitoes who could potentially carry the Zika virus next next week, after a resident tested positive for the disease.
According to local ABC affiliate 10News, San Diego County’s Vector Control Program will hand-spray the areas bordered by F Street on the north, Raven Street on the east, Market Street to the south and Quail Street to the west with the pesticide Pyrenone 25-5 in an effort to kill any adult Aedes egypti mosquitoes on Tuesday or Wednesday.
The person infected by the disease had recently traveled to a country known to be plagued by the Zika virus, for which there is no known vaccine or cure.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. These are the same mosquitoes that spread the dengue and chikungunya viruses.
Aedes mosquitos and their mosquito larvae were reportedly found near the infected person’s home.
County Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten reportedly said:”Travel to Zika-affected countries is common, and actions to prevent Zika from spreading to local Aedes mosquitoes are vital to inhibit locally acquired human cases of this disease.”
In February, California health officials admitted that since 2013 there have been six cases of Californians who have contracted and been diagnosed with the Zika virus while traveling abroad. The first case in Los Angeles was reported this past January.
The recently-infected San Diego resident is likely the seventh case.
According to 10News, some preventative measures include keeping doors and windows closed, “turning off fans that bring outdoor air inside the home, covering ornamental fish ponds to avoid direct exposure, rinsing fruits and vegetables from gardens with water before cooking or eating, wiping down or covering outdoor items such as toys, and covering barbecue grills.”
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