More Yellow Fever Mosquitoes Found in San Diego County

Chula Vista man bitten by rare mosquito

More “yellow fever mosquitoes” have been found in San Diego County, this time in Chula Vista where a man was bitten by one of them.

The rare mosquito was first spotted in offices on Naval Base San Diego earlier this week, according to county environmental health officials.

Health officials reported on Thursday that they found two more of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in a Chula Vista home. A man told health officials that one of the black-and-white striped mosquitoes bit him.

Health officials said that while the mosquitoes could become dangerous if established in an area, they don’t suspect any risk to anyone bitten by one of them, including the Chula Vista resident.

The tropical disease that the mosquito is best known for carrying are rarely seen here: yellow fever, chikungunya and dengue fever. There hasn’t been an outbreak of yellow fever in the United States in more than a century, according to the county.

County vector control teams were setting traps in the area of the Chula Vista home to determine if there are more mosquitoes. They were also delivering fliers to residents in surrounding neighborhoods telling them about the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

Yellow fever mosquitoes are more common on the East Coast but started appearing in California in 2013, officials said. The mosquitoes have recently been found in Commerce and Pico Rivera in Los Angeles County.

Unlike native California mosquitoes, these insects feed during the day. They can breed almost anywhere there’s standing water, including indoors, according to the county.

To help prevent mosquito breeding, the county is urging residents to dump out anything that can hold water – such as plant saucers, buckets or wheelbarrows – and report any standing water or dead birds to Vector Control.

To find out more ways to prevent the breeding of these mosquitoes, go here.

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