Southern California\u2019s unprecedented humidity fueled by El Ni\u00f1o conditions is giving a boost to mosquitoes and helping spread West Nile virus, experts say.<\/p>\n
West Nile virus cases in Los Angeles County are the highest they\u2019ve been in more than a decade, records show.<\/p>\n
The spike is thanks in part to Southern California\u2019s sweltering summer, with record-breaking humidity coupled with extreme heat that\u2019s being shepherded in by El Ni\u00f1o conditions<\/a> in the Pacific, which are fueling hurricanes that send moisture to California.<\/p>\n The lifespan of a mosquito is dependent on several factors including species, temperature, humidity, gender and time of year, according to the Mosquito and Vector Control Assn. of California<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cMosquitoes really need humidity because otherwise they desiccate,\u201d said Dr. Photini Sinnis with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. \u201cTheir lifespan is determined by humidity, so if you have humidity, the infected mosquitoes will live longer and infect more people.\u201d<\/p>\n Southern California had some of the worst humidity ever recorded for the<\/a> region this summer, experts said, which made already hot temperatures feel oppressive, sparking health concerns. <\/p>\n And in that humidity, mosquitoes were breeding \u2014 and biting.<\/p>\n \u201cMosquitoes are not long lived, but they can live for a few weeks and they\u2019ll take a blood meal every four days,\u201d Sinnis said.<\/p>\n West Nile virus cases in Los Angeles County<\/p>\n So far this year, Los Angeles County has seen 100 cases of West Nile virus, resulting in five deaths, the county\u2019s Department of Public Health said. In comparison, there were only 22 cases and two deaths all of last year.<\/p>\n Of the county\u2019s 100 cases, 73 were men, 27 were women, and the median patient age was 64.5, according to a Sept. 18 epidemiology report<\/a>. Of this year\u2019s cases, about 90 people were diagnosed with a neuroinvasive disease, a condition that results in the brain and surrounding tissues becoming inflamed, possibly leading to permanent brain damage and even death, according to the Mayo Clinic<\/a>. <\/p>\n About a third of all infected persons reside in East Los Angeles, with other cases reported in the San Fernando Valley and South Bay, according to the recent epidemiology report<\/a>. <\/p>\n And the mosquito season isn\u2019t even over. Health officials say mosquito season typically runs from June to October and the region is on track for one of its most severe West Nile virus seasons in recent memory. <\/p>\n \u201cThe last time case numbers reached this level was in 2017, when 268 cases were reported for the entire season,\u201d the department said in a news release. <\/p>\n \u201cWest Nile virus can cause serious illness, and the number of severe cases and deaths we are seeing this year is concerning,\u201d said Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County\u2019s health officer. \u201cWe are still within the peak period for West Nile virus transmission, so it is important that everyone take steps now to protect themselves and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n There is no specific treatment for West Nile virus. In more severe cases, people may need to go to the hospital for supportive measures such as IV fluids, pain management and nursing care, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>.<\/p>\n About 1 out of 10 people who develop severe West Nile virus disease affecting the brain and nervous system die, according to the CDC.<\/p>\n West Nile virus cases in the City of Long Beach<\/p>\n The city of Long Beach was the first to report a human West Nile virus<\/a> case in the county. <\/p>\n So far, Long Beach has reported 42 West Nile virus cases this year and zero deaths.<\/p>\n