Public Service Announcement
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Sutter County Public Health has confirmed the first human case of West Nile Virus (WNV) in Sutter County this year. This is the 15th human confirmed case of WNV in California for 2025. WNV is generally active June through October.
People infected with WNV fall into three categories:
•No symptoms/asymptomatic (8 in 10 people)
•Mild to moderate fever illness with fatigue and body aches (1 in 5 people)
•Severe illness with neurologic symptoms such as encephalitis or meningitis (less than 1 in 150 people).
For those who develop a severe WNV illness, symptoms may last several weeks and some symptoms may be permanent. There is an increased risk of West Nile virus throughout Sutter County. “We continue to see increased virus activity and detections in our surveillance system. The risk for human infection is elevated,” said Stephen Abshier, District Manager. “Residents need to remain vigilant in protecting themselves from being bitten by mosquitoes,” added Abshier. Residents should inspect their yards for anything holding water. Regular landscape irrigation or unseasonable rain can provide mosquitoes with good breeding habitat. Simply draining or dumping water will prevent new mosquito breeding. “The best way to prevent West Nile virus infection is to avoid mosquito bites. Please remember the three D’s as noted below: Use of DEET-containing mosquito repellant; Be especially mindful during dawn and dusk when mosquito activity is especially high; and Drain all standing water,” said Bi-County Public Health Officer, Dr. Phuong Luu. WNV is transmitted to humans and animals by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds. Residents can reduce the risk of infection by practicing the “Three Ds”:
1.DEET – Use a proven insect repellent like DEET. Other recommended repellents include: picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, IR3535 or 2-undecanone. Always use repellent according to label instructions. DEET is safe for use on children when used as directed.
Public Service Announcement SUTTER-YUBA MVCD
2.DAWN AND DUSK – Mosquitoes that transmit WNV bite in the early morning and evening. Wear proper clothing and repellent if outside during these times. Make sure that doors and windows have tight-fitting screens to keep mosquitoes out. Repair or replace screens with tears or holes.
3.DRAIN – Mosquitoes lay their eggs on standing water. Eliminate or drain all sources of standing water on your property, including flowerpots, car tires, rain gutters, and pet bowls. For standing water that cannot be drained such as fountains, ponds, etc., consider adding “Mosquito Dunks” or mosquito fish, which feed on mosquito larvae.
In response to recent findings and increased virus activity, District staff will continue to trap mosquitoes for testing, continue our disease surveillance program, and treat areas of high WNV activity with truck mounted foggers to reduce the adult mosquito population. Spray areas can be viewed at the District’s website at https://sutter-yubamvcd.org/. A surveillance map can be found there as well, which shows the location of WNV positive dead birds, mosquito collections, and sentinel chickens.
For more information about West Nile Virus, please visit: westnile.ca.gov.
Contact: Sutter County Public Health
Phone: 530-822-7215
E-mail: docsup@co.sutter.ca.us
Contact: Stephen Abshier, Manager
Phone: 530-674-5456
E-mail: steve@sutter-yubamvcd.org