Adult mosquitoes testing positive for the West Nile virus have been identified in parts of the South Bay, officials said.
The Santa Clara County Vector Control District said in a press release Friday that the infected mosquitoes were detected in Santa Clara and Sunnyvale.
The county will be coordinating a mosquito control treatment in ZIP codes 94086, 94087 and 95051 beginning Monday evening at 10 p.m., and will not require residents to relocate, the district said.
Those who wish to reduce their exposure to the pesticides are encouraged by the county to close their windows and remain indoors for the three-hour duration of the treatment.
This follows a treatment in parts of Gilroy held Thursday evening after mosquitoes were found in the area.
Four counties in the Bay Area — Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Solano and Sonoma — have reported West Nile virus activity, according to an activity map posted by the California Department of Public Health. Only Solano County has reported any human infections.
But the first human death of West Nile virus in California in 2021 took place in July, when an individual in San Luis Obispo County died from complications of the virus.
As always, health officials recommend that individuals drain standing water regularly and limit outdoor activities when mosquitoes are most active at dusk and dawn.
The first cases of West Nile virus were reported in California in 2003; since then, 339 people have died from the virus and more than 7,000 have been infected. Most people infected with the virus do not report any sickness.
The Vector Control District did not immediately respond to a request for comment from SFGATE.