Santa Clara County will conduct mosquito control treatment in parts of Palo Alto and Mountain View Friday after detecting the West Nile virus in mosquitos in those areas.
The Vector Control District announced the positive mosquito cases and the treatment plans on Wednesday. Affected areas include neighborhoods near West Middlefield and San Antonio Road.
The mosquito control treatment begins around 10 p.m. Friday and will last about three hours.
If you live in the area, you do not need to relocate, according to the Vector Control District. They say the treatment poses only minimal risk to people and pets.
If you want to be extra cautious, you can stay inside and close windows and doors. The treatment involves a low-volume insecticide that has been approved by the federal and state Environmental Protection Agencies that are widely used by vector control agencies throughout California.
This is not the first time this year the West Nile virus has been detected in Santa Clara County mosquitoes. The district detected cases and treated areas of Santa Clara and Sunnyvale a few weeks back.
So far in 2021, California has seen 35 human cases of West Nile virus but none in Santa Clara County specifically. Since 2003, the West Nile virus has infected more than 7,000 people statewide, causing 339 deaths.
For most people, the West Nile virus is not dangerous and does not cause symptoms. But some people may experience fever, headache, or body aches. In rare cases, the virus can cause neurological damage or death.
You can find an interactive map of the areas being treated for West Nile Virus by clicking this hyperlink.
