Mosquito Season Expands, Increasing Threat of Vector-Borne Illnesses

SUMMERLAND, Calif. (KEYT) - A state surge in mosquitoes and West Nile virus will likely keep public health experts in Santa Barbara County busy for another month or so.

"Mosquito season now is kind of like fire season," said Brian Cabrera, General Manager of the Santa Barbara County Mosquito and Vector Management District. "This year, the mosquitoes were active in March and they're still active. They might be active until mid-November."

Your News Channel stopped by the Mosquito and Vector Management District in Summerland Thursday morning.

One employee was busy scooping up mosquito-eating fish, which are free to the public.

Another employee prepared a trap baited with dry ice, which attracts all 16 species of mosquitoes found in our area.

Cabrera said traps are sent off to a UC Davis lab for testing at a cost of roughly $200 per sample. So far this year, there have been no cases of West Nile detected locally. (Los Angeles County has logged 216 cases, 10 of them fatal.)

However, Cabrera confirmed the discovery of two non-invasive mosquitoes this year including the Yellow fever mosquito which can transmit serious viruses including its namesake Yellow fever, Denghe fever and, the Zika virus. Cabrera said this particular species was found in July in a very isolated area of Carpinteria.

"We're also finding in the Westside neighborhood of Santa Barbara, the Australian backyard mosquito which is very, very pesky. It bites during the day, very aggressive, just like the yellow fever mosquitoes."

Cabrera said the Australian backyard mosquito is a vector for heart-worm in dogs but there are medications that protect against that.

He encourages people to monitor their yards for standing water. He added that technicians have found mosquitoes breeding in random, unlikely places like toys.

"They were finding mosquitoes breeding in the bases of the basketball hoops that use water to weigh down the base."

Cabrera likes to say "no water means no mosquitoes." 

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