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West Nile cases still on rise in state; Orange County is hot spot

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The number of West Nile virus cases is continuing to explode throughout the state, with more than 350 people infected; more than a third are in Orange County.

Earlier this month, the California Department of Public Health said the proportion of mosquitoes infected with the virus had reached the highest level ever detected. Cases of human infection have been reported in more than two dozen counties and 12 people have died because of the virus, according to state data.

In Orange County, there have been 136 human infections and three deaths, including a Seal Beach woman in her 80s, a Santa Ana man in his 50s, and a Huntington Beach man in his 70s, according to the county’s latest reports.

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The city of Santa Ana, in particular, has been hard hit with 51 reported cases, more than all counties in the state except Orange, according to state and local data.

Although the numbers are worrisome, Orange County officials said Wednesday there are some positive signs.

Recent hot weather led to a drop in the proportion of mosquitoes infected with the virus in the county, said Jared Dever, Orange County Vector Control District spokesman.

The drop, along with a slowdown in the number of reported human infections, is leading county officials to reassess an unprecedented plan to begin spraying neighborhoods in Santa Ana with insecticide to help control the disease’s spread, Dever said.

Officials announced earlier this month that starting Sept. 8 they would spray four parts of the city in the early morning hours, but those plans were delayed because of weather. Now, the vector control district is trying to determine when, or even if, the spraying should take place, Dever said.

For now, he said, things are “moving in the right direction.”

The county for decades has used truck-mounted foggers to control mosquitoes in wetlands and open spaces, but the spraying in Santa Ana would have been a first in a populated area, Dever said. Residents had been warned to take several precautions, including staying indoors during the treatment, closing doors and windows and covering pet food and water bowls.

Earlier this year, the county also began obtaining warrants to inspect the properties of uncooperative homeowners.

West Nile virus is often geographically localized and its spread can depend on various factors including standing water, temperature, mosquito count and bird immunity, said Dr. Michele Cheung, deputy medical director of epidemiology at the Orange County’s Health Care Agency.

In Santa Ana, officials were particularly troubled by an increasing number of stagnant backyard swimming pools. They also worked with city officials to clear out storm drains, Dever said.

Typically, West Nile season lasts until October, but in some years it has continued beyond that, Cheung said.

Paloma.esquivel@latimes.com

For more Orange County news follow @palomaesquivel

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