As of August 1, 2019, there have been 155 dead birds reported in
San Mateo County. Of those, 31 have been suitable for testing and
all 31 have tested negative for West Nile virus (WNV). No
mosquito pools or sentinel chickens have tested positive for West
Nile virus in San Mateo County in 2019.
Traveling to Hawaii this summer for a much needed vacation? Be
aware of rat lungworm! This brain parasite is on the rise with
six official cases confirmed so far this year.
Laboratory staff continued collecting Ixodes pacificus
ticks in the nymph life stage and adult Dermacentor
ticks during the month of June. Collections in June occurred at
Año Nuevo and the nearby Costanoa campground. A very high number
of Dermacentor ticks have been collected from this
location because District staff have made multiple collecting
trips as part of a study on Tularemia.
The District lab recently identified Turkestan cockroaches in
samples submitted by a county resident. The Turkestan
cockroach, Blatta lateralis, was first noticed in
California in 1978 around Sharpe Army Depot. Researchers believe
they were initially introduced to California from military
equipment returning from Asia or Afghanistan. In many parts of
the United States, the Turkestan cockroach is rapidly displacing
the oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis.
Turkestan cockroaches produce considerably more offspring than do
the oriental cockroach.
Join us at the City of
San Mateo’s 35th Annual BayFront CleanUp Day at Ryder
Park in San Mateo from 7:30 am until noon. Volunteers who show up
to collect litter will be rewarded with a barbecue after, and
we’ll be around to chat about how cleaning up litter doesn’t just
help the environment – it helps prevent mosquitoes, too!
Join us at the San
Mateo Senior Center Health & Wellness Fair at 2645
Alameda de las Pulgas. We’ll be there from 10am until 1pm to
talk about how seniors can protect themselves from West Nile
virus, as well as what services are available to help out with
rodents, nuisance wildlife, and other pest and vector concerns
that affect seniors.
