Dangerous Asian Mosquito Nears The Bay Area
SAN JOSE (KCBS) — Vector control officials here in the Bay Area are taking steps to halt any northern migration of a pest that has begun showing up in Southern California.
"The Asian Tiger Mosquito is a real game changer," said Russ Parman, acting director of the Santa Clara County Vector Control District. "That's because it's a container breeder — which means it will breed in any container — from a saucer with a quarter inch of water, to potted plants, anything that holds water."
That makes the bug hard to corral and kill, which is very important because this little bug can be deadly.
"It's a very efficient vector of some nasty human diseases, one of which is Dengue Fever," said Parman. "And another is Chikungunya, which means 'bent over' in the native tongues."
The Asian Tiger Mosquito is smaller than the typical ones we find in the Bay Area, and it's distinct in that it has a very visible white line down its back.
Parman said that they've been found in large numbers in Southern California, after hitchhiking over from Asia.
None have been found here yet, but Parman said that they are taking precautions to make sure that the nasty bugs aren't allowed to make their new home permanent.
Photo caption: FILE: An Asian Tiger mosquito feeds from the blood from a person in an undated photo. (Photo by Jack Leonard/New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board/Getty Images)
