3:30pm | Mosquitoes near Chittick Field in central Long Beach have been found to carry the West Nile virus (WNV) and Health officials are urging residents to take proper precautions to avoid contracting the illness.

There have been no reports of human WNV infections this year. The state of California saw 112 cases of infection last year – four of which turned deadly – but to our recollection, there were no infections in Long Beach.

The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services have set mosquito traps in the area and posted warning signs around the field. Keep in mind that Chittick Field is essentially a bowl of humidity and during hot days is exactly the type of condition that mosquitoes thrive in.

The Health Department includes this list of suggestions to protect yourself from the threat:

  • Avoid mosquito-infested areas, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
  • Mosquitoes can breed in standing water.  Eliminate standing water on your property by dumping or draining water from neglected ponds, birdbaths, fountains, buckets, old tires or anything that can hold water.  Dumping or draining water will interrupt the mosquito life cycle.
  • Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
  • Use mosquito repellant containing DEET, Picaridin, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus.  Residents should follow repellant 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.
  • Maintain all swimming pools in a clean and sanitary manner, with all circulation and filtration equipment operational and chemical levels within recommended guidelines; drain water from pool covers.
  • Limit the watering of lawns and outdoor plants to twice a week to avoid run off to gutters and around sprinklers.  Do not over water plants or lawns to avoid creating pools of standing water.
  • Report dead birds and dead tree squirrels to the California Department of Public Health by calling 1-877-WNV-BIRD or online at www.westnile.ca.gov.

For further information, contact the City of Long Beach DHHS, Vector Control Program at 562.570.4132 or online at www.longbeach.gov/health/wnv_info/resource.asp.