And WNV is now reported in other areas fairly nearby. Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control Agency Public Information Officer Levy Sun tells LBREPORT.com that two WNV infected mosquito samples have just been confirmed in Carson, and one WNV-infected dead bird was found in Cerritos. This follows WNV positive mosquitoes previously found this year in Wilmington, Pico Rivera and Harbor City. (WNV activity has also been found in areas from Gardena to the San Fernando Valley.) (Photo right: GLACVCD)

WNV is transmitted through the bite of a WNV-infected mosquito. The mosquitoes become infected by biting birds and other animals that have become infected by being bitten by infected mosquitoes and the cycle continues, and the virus spreads as the birds travel distances.

Crows virtually always die. In humans, WNV's symptoms include fever, body aches, rash, nausea, vomiting and headache...and some people don't show any symptoms.

However roughly one in 150 people bitten by a WNV infected mosquito may develop very serious, potentially life threatening diseases, including brain inflammation or paralysis. A City of Long Beach release today (June 28) advises people with these symptoms to seek immediate medical care.

In 2004, as reported in detail at the time by LBREPORT.com, WNV hit Long Beach especially hard. An ELB woman in the neighborhood between the Skylinks Golf Course and Wardlow Park -- an area near flood control and drainage channels -- died from the bite of a WNV-infected mosquito. In Sept. 2012, a young East Long Beach man became infected and at the time was reported "recovering from the affects at home."

In a June 28 release, Long Beach City Health Officer, Dr. Mitchell Kushner, encourages all residents to protect themselves and others by taking the following precautions:

• Avoid mosquito-infested areas, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
• Mosquitoes breed in standing water. Eliminate standing water on your property by dumping or draining water in neglected ponds, birdbaths, fountains, buckets, old tires or anything that can hold water. Dumping or draining water interrupts the mosquito life cycle.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants if you plan to be outdoors at dawn or dusk.
• Use mosquito repellant containing DEET, Picaridin, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus. Residents should follow instructions on the label. Consult with your child's pediatrician for appropriate concentrations of DEET to be used on children under the age of 2.
• Keep tight-fitting screens on doors and windows to prevent mosquitoes from entering homes and check to make sure your window screens are in good condition.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools and drain water from pool covers.
• Limit the watering of lawns and outdoor plants to twice a week to prevent run off to gutters and around sprinklers.

Three agencies are in charge of mosquito abatement in Long Beach. The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District (GLACVCD) handles East Long Beach basically east of Lakewood Blvd. and north of PCH. The City of Long Beach's Health Dept. and Environmental Services Bureau handles most of the rest of the city with the exception of part of NLB handled by a Compton vector control agency.

A City of Long Beach release says GLACVCD and the City of Long Beach Health Dept. Vector Control Program will be increasing their surveillance and treatment [to prevent and kill developing mosquitoes in standing water and storm drains] in response to the latest developments.

If you see dead birds and dead tree squirrels, call the California Department of Public Health at 1-877-WNV-Bird or online at www.westnile.ca.gov. The City of Long Beach's Vector Control Program can be reached at (562) 570.4132 or online at www.longbeach.gov/health and click on "West Nile Virus."