Yellow fever mosquitoes, a tropical and subtropical insect capable of spreading disease, were found in Commerce and Pico Rivera last week, the first discovery of the insects in Los Angeles County, vector control officials said Wednesday.
The yellow fever mosquitoes, which were found in California’s central valley in June 2013, are the third type of invasive, disease-transmitting mosquitoes found in the past three years in the county — along with the Asian tiger mosquito and the Australian backyard mosquito.
“This is the latest in a series of identified mosquito introductions into the Southland,” according to Levy Sun of the Greater Los Angeles Vector Control District.
Vector control officials urged residents to be on the lookout for the small, black-and-white striped mosquitoes. Officials said all three types of mosquitoes are “aggressive day-biting” insects that tend to lay eggs in small man-made containers that hold water.
An additional concern is the resilience of the eggs, which can survive long dry spells, enhancing their potential to spread to new locations according to the California Department of Public Health.
The Asian tiger mosquito and yellow fever mosquito are both capable of transmitting dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever viruses. The Australian backyard mosquito can transmit canine heartworm.
“While these debilitating viruses, so far, aren’t locally transmitted in L.A. County, the mosquitoes that can transmit them are now here,” said Susanne Kluh, the vector control district’s director of scientific-technical services. “Infected travelers can bring these viruses to Los Angeles County.”
Anyone spotting the mosquitoes or anyone who is bitten during the day should contact the vector control district at (562) 944-9656, or the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District at (626) 814-9466.
— Staff and wire reports