SANTA CLARA COUNTY — Neighborhoods in San Jose and unincorporated Santa Clara County will be sprayed with pesticide on Monday to address the presence of West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes, county officials said Thursday.
This is the second West Nile virus treatment in Santa Clara County this year. The ZIP codes where the treatment will occur are 95111, 95112, 95121 and 95122. The treatment is centered around Senter Road and Southside Drive. A truck will be going around the neighborhoods at 10 p.m. and pesticide spraying will last between two to four hours.
The last West Nile virus treatment was July 17.
According to the county, the pesticide is an ultra-low volume spray of pyrethrin or pyrethroids, which is approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. It is used to target adult mosquitoes when West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes are found.
Mosquitoes can carry numerous vector-borne viruses that can cause illnesses, which the county tracks, like West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis and western equine encephalitis.
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Some of the symptoms associated with West Nile virus are fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting and diarrhea or a rash, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. However, most people may not develop any symptoms.
Some vulnerable populations, like older residents and people with pre-existing medical conditions or who have received organ transplants, are at greater risk for severe illness if infected. Some symptoms of severe illness include encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, or meningitis, inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
The county has been using the truck-mounted treatment to control adult mosquito populations since 2003 to reduce West Nile virus-transmitting mosquitoes.
The county stated that residents were notified through mailed postcards, AlertSCC and through email and social media.