A two-block area of the Mount Hope neighborhood will be sprayed for mosquitoes next week after a resident tested positive for the Zika virus and mosquitoes known to carry the virus were discovered in the same area, county officials announced Saturday.
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The County of San Diego's Vector Control Program plans to hand-spray the area as a preventive measure. County workers notified residents today and plan to conduct hand-spraying in the neighborhood on Tuesday or Wednesday.
The affected area is bordered by F Street on the north, Raven Street on the east, Market Street to the south and Quail Street to the west.
The infected resident recently traveled to a country where tropical mosquito-borne illnesses, including Zika virus, are active and developed symptoms upon returning home, county officials said. State officials confirmed
the person had the Zika virus, which was not acquired in the United States.
"Travel to Zika-affected countries is common, and actions to prevent Zika from spreading to local Aedes mosquitoes are vital to inhibit locally acquired human cases of this disease," County Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten said.
County vector control inspectors found Aedes mosquito larvae and adult mosquitoes near the victim's home. They plan to spray the pesticide Pyrenone 25-5 in an effort to kill any adult mosquitoes.
The pesticide poses low risks to people and pets, but residents in the area who want to minimize their exposure to the pesticide can take precautionary steps including staying inside and bringing pets indoors if
possible, closing doors and windows, turning off fans that bring outdoor air inside the home, covering ornamental fish ponds to avoid direct exposure, rinsing fruits and vegetables from gardens with water before cooking or eating, wiping down or covering outdoor items such as toys, and covering barbecue
grills.
Vector control will continue to conduct trapping for Aedes mosquitoes in the area and nearby locations for several weeks.
