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A “dangerous” and aggressive invasive mosquito is spreading around a major Northern California city. The blood-sucking insects, which can carry life-threatening diseases, have been detected in a new area of San José, a city that is home to nearly one million residents and much of the state’s tech industry. The black-and-white-striped bugs were found in a new area of East San José near S. 12th and Martha Streets, according to a Friday social media post from the Santa Clara County Mosquito and Vector Control District. The insects had been spotted earlier this year in Antioch, a little over an hour away, and the same mosquitoes were found in the same neighborhood last year. “This new detection means these mosquitoes are spreading into more neighborhoods and are growing in numbers,” the district warned. The mosquitoes are of the species Aedes aegypti, which are native to north Africa and are “aggressive day-time biters.” They’ve been found along both the West and East Coasts, as well as in the South and parts of the central and eastern U.S. for decades, with origins dating back to the 1600s slave trade, according to the American Academy of Microbiology. Although the first official detection in California dates back to 2013, a study from 2017 found the mosquitoes had been in the area for years before that. Researchers said this had highlighted the resilience of the mosquitoes, which have become established in Southern California and the Central Valley. They can spread viral infections, such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever. Infections with all four viruses can sometimes be fatal. Yellow fever is often hemorrhagic, characterized by bleeding of the mouth, nose, eyes and stomach. Dengue can also lead to hemorrhagic fever and Zika can cause paralysis. Chikungunya can result in a fever and joint pain. The U.S. just reported its first locally transmitted chikungunya case in six years in New York, and the reach of disease-carrying mosquitoes has been spreading farther and farther out as temperatures warm due to human-caused climate change. Mosquitoes were just found in Iceland for the first time, which was previously considered one of two places in the world without them, the other being the Antarctic. The district said the diseases are not currently being seen around Santa Clara County, but that the risk grows as the population of mosquitoes swells. The county warns that if the mosquitoes establish a permanent population in the county, it will be harder for people to spend time outdoors. “If this mosquito becomes common in Santa Clara County, it will eventually begin to spread diseases,” County Health Department Director Sarah Rudman told KRON 4. “These diseases are dangerous and will change the experience of having a mosquito bite from an inconvenience to a worrisome health risk.” Unlike other species, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes lay their eggs in containers — instead of standing water. People who see the mosquitoes or are bitten by them are asked to report the incidents immediately by calling (408) 918-4770 or emailing vectorinfo@cep.sccgov.org.
