From Richard Shanahan:

Following up on the discussion at MVCAC Summer Board meeting, here is a link to the final Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. EPA final rule revising the definition of ''waters of the United States'' under the Clean Water Act: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/citation.result.FR.action?federalRegister.volume=2015&federalRegister.page=37114&publication=FR 

The full rule is a long document with numerous pages of background and justification. The actual revised definition for the NPDES permit program can be found at pp. 37114 - 37115.

Beginning on June 29, the District staff started using the newly built molecular testing

laboratories to test field collected mosquitoes for West Nile virus WNV). Of the 179

mosquito samples collected throughout the district boundaries, 35 tested positive for

WNV. The current weather trends and unseasonal rains have created prime conditions

for mosquito breeding and continuous disease transmission. The West Valley Mosquito

and Vector Control District reminds residents to check their yards for anything that may

be holding water and immediately drain them. The District is especially concerned

about swimming pools that had been drained prior to the rains, and now could have

enough water in them (even a seemingly small amount of water can create thousands

of adult mosquitoes) to be sources for mosquito development. The District is

considering using aerial photography again this year to identify swimming pools and

other potential breeding sources that have retained water during this last storm.

Jul 20, 2015

SACRAMENTO - California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith today announced the first confirmed death in California due to West Nile virus (WNV). The deceased person was a senior citizen in Nevada County. 
 

"This death is a tragic reminder of how severe West Nile virus disease can be," said Dr. Smith. "West Nile virus activity is more widespread in 2015 than in years past. Californians need to be vigilant in protecting themselves."  

Controlling mosquitoes that carry human diseases is a global health challenge as their ability to resist insecticides now threatens efforts to prevent epidemics. Scientists from the CNRS, IRD, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université Joseph Fourier in Grenoble and Institut Pasteur in French Guiana have identified new genetic markers for mosquito resistance to insecticides, which could improve its detection in the field. This work was published in Genome Research on 23 July 2015. 

West Nile virus confirmed in chickens at Holland Tract Marina

As drought continues to plague the Western United States, public health officials are warning residents of the region about an unexpected side effect of the dry weather: a greater likelihood of contracting West Nile virus.

This week, officials from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) confirmed that a 65-year-old woman in Nevada County, California, died from an infection with the mosquito-borne disease. She was the first person in the state to succumb to West Nile virus this year. Earlier this month, two people died from West Nile virus infections in Maricopa County, Arizona - an area that is also experiencing severe drought conditions.

The 'i'iwi. (Photo: Facebook)

For you and me, a single mosquito bite probably isn't much more than an annoyance.

The colorful Hawaiian birds known as 'i'iwi aren't so lucky. For these increasingly rare birds, one mosquito nibble means almost certain death.

Mosquitoes are not native to Hawaii. The insects arrived on the islands about two centuries ago, and with them came the parasite that causes avian malaria (a different form of the disease that can affecthumans). Hawaii's birds evolved far away from either mosquitoes or avian malaria, and as a result many of them have little to no resistance to the disease.

West Nile virus dead bird testing and the WNV Dead Bird Hotline began on April 15, 2015. 

Live calls are being answered (1-877-WNV-BIRD) and online reports are being responded to (www.westnile.ca.gov). 

Agencies can bypass the message options by calling the agency line at (510-412-4601). This will connect you to the hotline operators. If you need to enter a dead bird report and obtain a dead bird number, please use the Gateway.