(June 15, 2005) -- Long Beach and Cerritos have reported their first confirmed cases of mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile Virus (WNV) in 2005.

The Greater L.A. County Vector Control District ("GLACVD", which handles areas east of Lakewood Blvd. and north of PCH) says WNV positive mosquitoes were collected on June 7 and June 10 near the vicinity of the MarketPlace at 2d St./PCH and in the Marina Pacifica areas.

The LB Dept. of Health of Human Services (which handles most of the rest of LB, except the NW corner handled by Compton) tells LBReport.com that West Nile positive mosquitoes were collected at about the same time in the "California Bowl" area (near Signal Hill).

In addition, mosquitoes from Cerritos collected from the area of South Street and Coyote Creek, have just been confirmed positive for the mosquito-borne virus.

GLACVCD says it intends to post West Nile virus warning signs in parts of LB and Cerritos. A GLACVCD spokeswoman told LBReport.com that the agency hopes to put them in the MarketPlace/Marina Pacifica areas; exact areas are being determined as we speak. "The District will continue maximum efforts in controlling mosquitoes in the vicinity," GLACVCD said in a written release.

"Positive mosquitoes from these locations within the District strongly indicates that West Nile virus activity is rapidly increasing," said GLACVCD Scientific-Technical Services Director Minoo Madon in the agency's release.

No human cases have yet been reported in LB or CA in 2005...but this year's West Nile timeline roughly parallels what happened last year...when LBReport.com was among the first to report the appearance of dead crows in late May.

That was soon followed by confirmation of WNV-positive mosquitoes...and by July, LB had its first human WNV fatality (in ELB, area Clark/Wardlow).

Although WNV-positive dead crows are the first indication that WNV-infected mosquitos are in the general area, it's the WNV-infected mosquitoes that pose the risk to people, not the crows.

Just weeks ago, on May 27, 2005, LBReport.com reported LB's first WNV infected dead crow in ELB zip code 90815. Nelson Kerr of LB's Dept. of Health and Human Services Vector Control division tells LBReport.com that four other WNV-positive dead crows have since been found in areas including zip codes 90815, 90803 and 90808.

Last year, dead crows were visible virtually citywide by mid to late summer. In addition to the human ELB fatality, fifteen other LB residents were confirmed to have contracted the illness. However, based on statistics, many more are believed to have been infected...although many not know it; most people show no symptoms or very slight symptoms.

While most otherwise healthy people don't show symptoms, for some people, serious neurological effects and illnesses can result. "Symptoms of WNV infection typically begin between 7 to 14 days following the bite of an infected mosquito, and consist of fever, muscle and joint aches, fatigue, headache, and other flu-like symptoms. Elderly and immune suppressed individuals are at much greater risk for developing serious WNV illness such as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain)," LB's Health Dept. says in a written release.

The LB Health Dept. says in a written release: