LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Los Angeles county officials are generating some buzz for National Mosquito Control Awareness Week to remind residents to protect themselves from the biting insect and the diseases it can transmit.
The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District (GLACVCD) reminded Angelenos Monday to take action against the bugs by removing standing water and wearing repellent, which can help prevent itchy bites as well as mosquito-borne illnesses, including West Nile virus.
GLACVCD is getting the word out through a #TipTossTakeAction summer campaign launched as part of National Mosquito Control Awareness Week (June 21-27).
“The #TipTossTakeAction campaign allows residents and city officials to take an active role in protecting their communities by working closely with GLACVCD staff,'' GLACVCD Community Affairs Director Mary-Joy Coburn said.
The District confirmed its first West Nile virus mosquito sample of 2020 earlier this month. So far this year, the mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus in Hacienda Heights, Sherman Oaks and Pico Rivera.
Greater Los Angeles County also is home to invasive Aedes mosquitoes, which can transmit Zika, Dengue, Chikungunya and Yellow Fever. There is currently no local transmission of those viruses in California.
A new resource website, TipTossTakeAction.org, allows individuals to take a pledge to protect their communities, take part in a mosquito watch program, gather digital resources to share with their neighbors or online networks, and read about the latest mosquito news, Coburn said. The website includes a public service announcement video about mosquito prevention.
Besides the website, GLACVCD will be sharing out information on its social media pages, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@GLAmosquito).
County officials shared the following tips to prevent mosquito bites:
--Apply repellent to exposed skin before going outdoors and reapply as recommended on the label;
--Wear insect repellent containing CDC and EPA approved active ingredients: DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus;
--Wear light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and long pants;
--Close or repair all unscreened doors and windows;
--Eliminate standing water in clogged rain gutters, rain barrels, discarded tires, buckets, watering troughs, or anything that holds water for more than a week;
--Ensure that swimming pools, spas and ponds are properly maintained;
--Change the water in pet dishes, birdbaths, and other small containers weekly;
--Request mosquitofish from your local vector control district for ornamental ponds; and
--Report neglected (green) swimming pools in your neighborhood to your vector control district.
For more information, contact the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District at 562-944-9656 or visit www.glacvcd.org.
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