Additional mosquitoes trapped in the Coachella Valley tested positive for two potentially deadly viruses, including West Nile, this time in North Shore, officials announced Wednesday.
The mosquitoes were collected from traps near the area of Avenue 72, according to the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District.
The unincorporated area near the banks of the Salton Sea is the fourth Coachella Valley community where West Nile virus has been detected this year. Other areas include Indian Wells, Palm Desert and Cathedral City.
St. Louis Encephalitis — a viral disease that can be transmitted to humans and initially cause flu-like symptoms, and in rare cases, death — was also detected in mosquitoes in North Shore.
This year, 27 mosquitoes have tested positive for the WNV in the Coachella Valley, and 54 mosquitoes have tested positive for St. Louis Encephalitis.
The Coachella Valley has no reported human cases of either virus, which can both be transmitted to people and animals through the bite of an infected mosquito.
One in five individuals infected with the WNV, for which there is no cure, will exhibit symptoms that include fever, headache, body aches, nausea or skin rash. The symptoms can last for several days to months.
One in 150 people infected with the virus will require hospitalization. Severe symptoms include high fever, muscle weakness, neck stiffness, coma, paralysis and possibly death.
Those at greatest risk include seniors and individuals with compromised immune systems.
Meanwhile, mosquitoes infected with St. Louis Encephalitis can bite humans and spread the virus, but most people end up not feeling symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Infections may cause fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and tiredness, the CDC said. In older adults, a severe neuroinvasive disease that often involves encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, is possible following infection.
People over 50 years old and those with lowered immune systems are at greater risk of suffering severe symptoms if they contract the virus.
In rare cases, St. Louis Encephalitis can cause long-term disabilities or death, according to the CDC.
Mosquito season in Southern California generally spans May to October.
For more information, go to www.cvmosquito.org.
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