Infected Mosquitoes Are Being Wiped Out
Officials said Wednesday that they are winning the battle against mosquitoes infected with the St. Louis encephalitis virus at the Santa Fe Dam Park in Irwindale.
About 500 mosquitoes were trapped Monday night, compared with 25,000 caught last week, said Terry Dipple, San Gabriel Valley Mosquito Abatement District chairman. Water flowing from the Morris Dam, where the county is sluicing silt and debris, and from the Colorado River had formed pools behind the Santa Fe Dam, providing breeding grounds for mosquitoes, Dipple said. The district hired a contractor last week to spray and trap the mosquitoes.
County officials alerted the public after encephalitis antibodies were found in 13 test chickens at the park. The virus can cause inflammation of the brain and spinal cord and possibly death.
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