With all the holiday activities sure to bring people outdoors, the East Side and Turlock Mosquito Abatement Districts want to remind people to be mindful of taking steps to avoid contracting West Nile Virus.

As of June 22, 2015, WNV has been detected in 23 California counties with the WNV activity confirmed in 77 dead birds, 119 mosquito samples, and one sentinel chicken. No human cases have been reported to date. Stanislaus County has four positive dead birds in the city of Modesto.

“Mosquitoes continue to be a nuisance and vector of West Nile Virus here in Stanislaus County. Fireworks won’t be the only thing exploding this 4th of July. As temperatures continue to rise, so will mosquito populations,” says District Manager Lloyd Douglass.

Both Districts continue to monitor and treat mosquito breeding sources. Backyard sources like neglected swimming pools and ornamental ponds remain a large concern. The Districts are using aerial photography to assist in locating potential mosquito breeding sites.

This year at the Stanislaus County Fair an informational booth will be staffed by both Mosquito Abatement Districts. The districts encourage citizens to visit the booth, meet their mosquito control technicians, as well as learn steps they can take to protect themselves against mosquito bites and West Nile Virus.

To report mosquito-breeding problem areas, Stanislaus County residents should contact one of the two Mosquito Abatement Districts that serve the county. For Stanislaus County addresses north of the Tuolumne River, residents should call the Eastside Mosquito Abatement District at 522-4098 (www.eastsidemosquito.com) and all others should contact the Turlock Mosquito Abatement District at 634-1234 (turlockmosquito.org).