Asian Tiger Mosquitoes Appear in San Diego

Another dangerous mosquito has been found in San Diego County, as vector control inspectors discovered Asian tiger mosquitoes in Barrio Logan.

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, normally found in Southeast Asia, was discovered in Southern California in 2001, but eradicated, according to San Diego County officials.

However, according to ABC 10 San Diego, the mosquito has been found in Los Angeles County and has diffused there in the last 18 months.

A similar mosquito, the Aedes aegypti, or yellow fever mosquito, was discovered in San Diego in 2014. Both mosquitoes feature distinctive black and white markings and are capable of transmitting yellow fever, chikungunya and dengue fever to human beings.

Symptoms of dengue fever include a sudden, high fever; severe headaches; pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain; fatigue, nausea and vomiting; and a skin rash. Chikungunya and yellow fever feature similar symptoms.

Standing water acts as fertile breeding ground for the mosquitos; residents have been warned to eliminate such situations. San Diego County officials asked people noticing mosquitos biting during daylight hours to report such occurrences to county vector control authorities, who’ve been erecting additional monitoring traps for the mosquitos.

The officials also asked the public to report neglected swimming pools or areas of standing water by calling (858) 694-2888 or emailing vector@sdcounty.ca.gov.