As spring days become warmer – and mosquitoes more common – the Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health advises all residents to take precautions now to help prevent mosquito-borne diseases.

Illnesses such as the West Nile and the Saint Louis encephalitis viruses can be spread through the bite of an infected mosquito in Los Angeles County. Public Health recommends the following actions to reduce the risk of West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne disease infections:

• Take steps to control mosquitoes indoors and outdoors:
  Use screens on windows and doors. Check for and repair holes in screens to keep mosquitoes outdoors.

Stop mosquitoes from laying eggs in or near standing water. Once a week empty and scrub, turn over, cover or throw out items that hold water, such as tires, buckets, planters, toys, pet bowls, flowerpot saucers, rain barrels, or other containers. These are places where mosquitoes lay eggs.

Empty and wash birdbaths and wading pools weekly.

Clean and chlorinate swimming pools; drain any water collecting on pool covers.

Stock garden ponds with fish that eat mosquitoes such as mosquitofish, goldfish or koi. These feed on mosquito eggs and larvae.

Avoid outdoor activities at dusk and dawn during warm mosquito season when mosquitoes are most active.

Use insect repellant. Choose Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. When used as directed, EPA-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective, even for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Find the right insect repellent by using EPA’s search tool.

Cover up. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors, particularly at dusk and dawn, and in areas where more mosquitoes are present, such as ponds with stagnant water.

Report stagnant swimming pools or “green pools” to the Public Health Environmental Health Bureau at (888) 700-9995 or to a local vector control agency.

Report dead birds to the California West Nile Virus Dead Bird Hotline at (877) 968-2473 or online: https://westnile.ca.gov/report.php.

“The best ways to prevent West Nile virus infections and other mosquito-borne diseases are to take steps now to eliminate mosquito breeding spots and to protect our families from bites,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Ed., director of the Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health. “Because there are no vaccines to prevent West Nile, or a treatment to cure this disease, we can all follow simple steps to reduce the risk of West Nile virus including removing standing water around our homes and avoiding mosquito-infested areas at dawn and dusk.”

• About West Nile Virus

West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States and each year cases are detected among residents in Los Angeles County.

While everyone is at risk for West Nile virus, people over age 50 and those with health problems are at greater risk of serious illness. West Nile virus can affect the nervous system and result in meningitis, encephalitis, limb paralysis and even death.

Symptoms may include fever, headache, nausea, body aches and a mild skin rash. Severe symptoms include high fever, muscle weakness, neck stiffness and confusion as well as coma.

While not all mosquitoes carry West Nile virus, the type of mosquito that spreads this virus is found throughout Los Angeles County, and across the state.

For more information on West Nile virus, visit publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/westnile. To find a local vector control district that helps protect residents from mosquitos, visit http://www.socalmosquito.org.