Since the disease was first detected here in 2003, the number of cases has reached double digits in 2015, 2017 and a high of 56 cases in 2014.<\/p>\n
Dr. Cliff Okada, Long Beach\u2019s city health officer, said the virus tends to fluctuate unpredictably from year to year. \u201cI can\u2019t really give you a straight answer as to why this number is so high this year,\u201d he said, but cited climate change and rising temperatures as potential factors, as well as improved surveillance locally.<\/p>\n
With the exception of a high concentration of cases in the 90803 ZIP code, Dr. Okada said infections are dispersed fairly evenly citywide. He didn\u2019t want to reveal locations as it would create the impression that some parts of the city \u201care more dangerous than others.\u201d<\/p>\n
Three agencies<\/a> share responsibility for mosquito control in the city: the Los Angeles County Vector Control District covers the northern and eastern areas, and Long Beach\u2019s own district manages the remainder.<\/p>\n Suzanne Kluh of the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District, which handles parts of North Long Beach as well as some of the city\u2019s eastern neighborhoods, attributed much of the surge to the \u201cwarmest winter on record,\u201d followed by a punishing summer heat wave.<\/p>\n It\u2019s really just a numbers game. Those conditions, paired with unusually high humidity, have made it ripe for mosquitoes to multiply. A decline in bird immunity over the past five or six years has compounded the problem, since the virus circulates primarily between birds and mosquitoes before spreading to people.<\/p>\n In response, workers have intensified efforts to kill down the number of Culex mosquitoes \u2014 the species responsible for local transmission \u2014 by targeting the larvae that fester in storm drains, street gutters and smaller estuaries like marshes and ponds.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve also tried to disperse or move crow roosts, such as one at El Dorado Park, so as to limit the spread among birds that later forage in nearby neighborhoods. Even so, mosquitoes are resourceful.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ll breed in a bucket if it has enough water in somebody\u2019s backyard,\u201d Kluh said<\/p>\n The outbreak in Long Beach mirrors a broader spike across Los Angeles County and California. The county, whose case count excludes Long Beach and Pasadena, reported 15 cases and its first death of the year on Aug. 20.<\/p>\n \u201cThis tragic loss is a reminder of the serious threat posed by mosquito-borne diseases, including West Nile virus and dengue,\u201d said Dr. Muntu Davis, the county\u2019s health officer. He urged residents to take basic precautions.<\/p>\n How to protect yourself: Health officials recommend avoiding outdoor exposure at dawn and dusk, wearing long sleeves, using repellents containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus, and emptying standing water weekly. \u201cIf there\u2019s standing water, dump them. If there\u2019s clogged drains, drain them,\u201d Dr. Okada said.<\/p>\n Long Beach residents can report dead birds by calling 1-877-WNV-BIRD, keep abreast of cases by following the online tracker<\/a> or reach the city\u2019s mosquito hotline at 562-570-4132.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ap26182694551305-066803-pfzubn7y-582295-raxBhDCy-1024x683.jpg\")
FILE \u2013 A municipal biologist examines a mosquito in Salt Lake City, Aug. 26, 2019. AP Photo by Rick Bowmer, File.<\/p>\n