County of San Diego notifies Mount Hope residents of mosquito treatment

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Dengue, a tropical viral disease, has prompted the San Diego County Vector Control to hand-spray a neighborhood in the Mount Hope area Friday.

The hand-spraying treatment area, which is about 12 acres in size, covers Hilltop Drive to the north, 40th Street to the east, F Street to the south and Boundary Street to the west, the County of San Diego said in a news release Wednesday.

The plan to hand-spray comes after mosquitoes were found near a person who contracted dengue outside the U.S. In San Diego County, there have been 15 travel-related cases of dengue in local residents between Jan. 1- June 30, per county officials.

The county provided tips to those in the spray areas on how to avoid or minimize their exposure to the pesticide:

• Stay inside and bring pets indoors if possible;
• Close doors and windows, and turn off fans that bring outdoor air inside the home;
• Wash outside pet food and water bowls;
• Cover fishponds to avoid direct exposure;
• Rinse fruits and vegetables from your garden with water as you normally would before cooking or eating;
• Wipe down or cover outdoor items such as toys and cover barbecue grills;
• Beekeepers and those with insects kept outdoors are encouraged to shelter hives and habitats during treatments; Beekeepers registered with the County’s Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures can request to receive advance notice when a pesticide that may affect bees is applied to blossoming plants in their areas;
• You may resume normal activities 30 minutes after the treatment.

Those infected with Dengue may experience symptoms like fever, chills, aches, eye and bone pain, muscle and joint aches, nausea, vomiting and rash. Symptoms can be moderate and last two to seven days, or can be severe causing hospitalization or death.

Residents can also prevent mosquitoes breeding by dumping out, draining, or removing any items inside and outside of homes that can hold water.

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