Zika virus-carrying mosquito species detected for first time in Sacramento County
An invasive mosquito species has been newly detected in Sacramento County, local officials announced Wednesday, marking the second such species found in the area since 2019.
Aedes albopictus, commonly referred to as the Asian tiger mosquito, was recently located in the backyard of a Carmichael resident who reported being bitten, the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District said in a news release.
Field technicians with the district then conducted door-to-door inspections at other homes in the same neighborhood and found additional mosquitoes and larvae, according to the release.
The species joins Aedes aegypti, or the yellow fever mosquito, another invasive species first found in 2019 in Citrus Heights that has since been detected in other parts of Sacramento and Yolo counties.
“Now that we have found this second species of invasive mosquitoes, our goal is to limit their expansion as best we can,” district manager Gary Goodman said in a statement.
The Asian tiger mosquito is common in Southern California but was discovered in Shasta County in 2020, according to the local mosquito control district.
Both the Asian tiger and yellow fever mosquito are “small, dark mosquitoes with white stripes on their backs and legs” that bite aggressively during the day. They each can carry viruses including Zika, yellow fever and dengue.
The vector control district will add trapping to surveil for the newly discovered mosquitoes.
District staff found a mosquito larva in a watering can of the Carmichael resident who first reported the Asian tiger mosquito. Residents are urged not to leave standing water outdoors, as mosquitoes use it to breed.
Goodman says anyone who notices mosquitoes in their yard can call the district at 800-429-1022 for a free inspection.
This story was originally published October 19, 2022 at 10:59 AM.
