San Diego County has begun a “heightened response” after an individual reported to have travel-associated Zika virus is living within an area with mosquitoes known to carry the virus, county health officials said Saturday.
The Mount Hope resident traveled to a country that has Zika infections and became symptomatic upon their return, according to Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., San Diego County Public Health Officer.
The county learned of the case Monday, August 29 and reported it to the Department of Environmental Health. The patient granted permission for county officials to look around their residence and collect specimens of aedes mosquitoes.
“We ultimately found out the person was being tested, we obtained our own results and got those initial results back Friday night,” Wooten said. By that time, the patient’s symptoms were gone.
When asked if there were any immediate threat, Wooten said, “There is low risk but we want to err on the side of caution.”
She said the county is trying to prevent the spread of the infection.
“As soon as we know if a person is infectious, we notify the Department of Environmental Health so they can assess the area for this aedes species of mosquitoes to prevent the mosquito from biting the individual and then spreading it to the greater population of aedes mosquitoes,” Wooten said.
Local
Signs were soon posted on corners warning residents of mosquito spraying scheduled for Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A 12-person team will hand-spray Pyrenone 25-5, similar to the spraying last month in South Park after a suspected case. In that neighborhood, the patient tested negative for mosquito-borne illness.
The spraying will occur within a two-block radius bordered by Market, F, Quail and Raven streets.
Rebecca LaFreniere, Deputy Director with Department of Environmental Health San Diego County, suggested residents help the county control the aedes species of mosquitoes by routinely removing breeding areas around their home.
She suggested something as small as a toy, a lawn ornament or a saucer could provide a perfect amount of water for mosquitoes to multiply.
In the Mount Hope case, Wooten said the person went to their provider but could not say who treated the patient or where the patient traveled.
“If you have a person that is infectious, and if you have the mosquitoes around their home then the mosquito can bite the infected person and then spread the virus to other mosquitoes,” Wooten said.
There have been no local cases of Zika reported in San Diego County.
