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 California Department of Public Health (CDPH) urges all
Californians to protect themselves from mosquito bites during
West Nile virus (WNV) season, which extends from now through
early fall.
“West Nile virus activity in the state is increasing, so it is
important to take every possible precaution to protect against
mosquito bites,” said State Public Health Officer and CDPH
Director Dr. Karen Smith.
Earlier this month, San Mateo County Mosquito & Vector Control
District was awarded the District of Distinction accreditation by
the Special District Leadership Foundation (SDLF) for the second
time. The District was first designated the two-year District of
Distinction accreditation in 2017 in recognition of its sound
fiscal management policies and practices in district operations;
they also were awarded the Special Districts Leadership
Foundation’s Transparency Certificate of Excellence in 2017.
Surveillance for West Nile virus began in California in
mid-April. The District protects residents from this
mosquito-borne disease with control methods that target
mosquitoes in the larval stage, as well as mosquito population
monitoring, disease surveillance and public education. The
laboratory staff conducts disease surveillance in three main
ways:
