Estanislau, Robin
From: Michael Posey < [email protected]>
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2023 3:05 PM
To: Estanislau, Robin
Subject: Vector Report
Attachments: Dengue Talking Points_Final[3].pdf
Good Morning Board of Trustees,
s follow up to the Board meeting, below is a summary of the information provided and actions that occurred c hursdav. November 16. 2022
At the November Board meeting, the Board of Trustees received one presentation by Steve Shepherd on the Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA) Program. The presentation addressed the history of RIFA in Orange County, the District's RIFA program as well as some future RIFA projects.
The Board had no business items on the November agenda.
Dengue Fever info attached. Please share.
Outreach talking point:
• Colder weather will mean less mosquitoes, but Southern California never gets cold enough to have no mosquitoes. Resident should take the time to begin scrubbing and storing unneeded containers, conducting gutter and drain maintenance to prevent standing water from collecting and continuing to protect themselves from mosquitoes.
This was my last meeting as Huntington Beach's Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control Trustee. It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve.
Mike Posey
1 OCMVCD Dengue Talking Points
• Dengue is a disease caused by any one of four closely related dengue viruses which are spread by infected mosquitoes.
People get dengue from the bite of an infected mosquito. The mosquito becomes infected when it bites a person who has dengue virus in their blood. • It takes a week or more for the dengue virus to replicate in a mosquito; then the mosquito can transmit the virus to another person when it bites. • Dengue virus cannot be transmitted from person to person. • Dengue is transmitted principally by Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquito) and Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito), also called "Aedes mosquitoes or ankle biters." • Dengue is common in many tropical and subtropical areas of the world, where Aedes mosquitoes thrive. These areas include parts of Africa, the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, South America, Central America, and North America (specifically Mexico), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). • Dengue is not common in the United States, but local outbreaks have been reported in some states where Aedes mosquitoes are found, including parts of southern Texas, southern Florida, and Hawaii. Dengue is common in many U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico and American Samoa.
• Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquito) and Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito) mosquitoes are not native to California, but infestations have been identified throughout the state.
• Aedes mosquitoes were first found in 2015 in Orange County and have now been confirmed in every city within Orange County.
• Until recently there was no local transmission of dengue in California. There were only reports of travel-related cases, where people who traveled abroad to areas where dengue is endemic got infected (through the bite of an infected mosquito) and returned to the U.S. • On Friday, October 20, 2023, the City of Pasadena Health Department announced that they had documented the first local dengue infection in the state. • About three out of every four people (75%) who are infected never develop any symptoms. • There is no specific treatment for dengue.
• If a person does get sick with dengue, their symptoms can be mild or severe. Dengue fever is also called breakbone fever.
• The most common symptoms of dengue fever include fever and any of the following: severe headache, pain behind the eyes, joint pain, muscle and bone pain, rash, and/or bruising on the skin. Most people recover in about a week. • One in 20 people who get sick with dengue will develop severe dengue. Severe dengue can develop within a few hours. The warning signs include: bleeding from the nose or mouth (gums), severe pain in stomach or abdomen, vomiting (at least three times in 24 hours), and/or vomiting blood or blood in stool. • Due to the four closely related viruses that cause dengue (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4), a person can get dengue as many as four times in their life. People who have had dengue once before are more likely to get severe dengue if infected again. • In 2023, the Orange County Health Care Agency has reported nine travel related cases of Dengue.
• Orange County has had no reported cases of locally transmitted dengue. • The Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District conducts surveillance and testing of mosquitoes for several mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue. • The District has had no mosquito samples test positive for dengue. • The District will continue to monitor and test mosquitoes for disease as part of our routine surveillance program.
• In cases where the District is informed about travel related dengue cases, staff will follow District protocols to reduce the risk of local transmission to residents. • What residents can do:
• Prevent bites by wearing EPA-registered repellents.
Inspect properties for standing water and eliminate any containers that can hold water and any standing water sources.
Ensure that doors and windows are well screened to prevent mosquitoes from entering the home.
Online Resources:
CDPH Dengue Fact Sheet
CDC Dengue Symptoms and Treatment
WHO Dengue and Severe Dengue