District Awarded Transparency Certificate of Excellence  

On September 22, the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District was awarded the District Transparency Certificate of Excellence.  This award is given by the Special District Leadership Foundation (SDLF) in recognition of outstanding efforts to promote transparency and good governance.  It is not an easy feat to attain this certificate and the District is only the third mosquito abatement district in the state to do so. 

View the Press Release

Updated Response Plans 

In order to proactively address any further findings of invasive Aedes mosquitoes in Alameda County, the District has prepared an Invasive Aedes Mosquito Response Plan.  This document covers a variety of scenarios and the operational procedures that will guide the District's response.  Invasive Aedes mosquitoes ( i.e. Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus) are very different from our native mosquito species.  They are container breeding mosquitoes that thrive in urban settings.  These day biting black and white mosquitoes can breed in as little as a bottle cap of water in both indoor and outdoor locations. Unlike or native mosquitoes,  Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus can spread dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika.  The District's response plan addresses the combination of surveillance, control, public education, and interagency coordination efforts put forth for pre-detection and post-detection of invasiveAedes mosquitoes. 

Along with this new response plan, the District has also updated its response plan for West Nile virus.  With over a decade of West Nile virus activity in Alameda County, surveillance, control, and public education for West Nile virus are very much a part of the day to day operations.  The Mosquito-borne Arbovirus Response Plan has been updated to reflect the current situation.

The full documents are available on our website.
ACMAD's Response Plans 

Zika Virus 

This summer local transmission of Zika virus was discovered in Florida.  At this point, this is the only known area where the virus has been spread domestically.  Although there are many communities in California where the mosquitoes capable of transmitting Zika have been found, the disease has not been spread locally here.  Hundreds of California residents have acquired Zika virus in 2016 while travelling abroad so it is important to always protect yourself from mosquito bites wherever you may be.

What you can do help keep invasive Aedes mosquitoes out of Alameda County:

• Inspect your yard regularly and remove any clutter or containers that may hold water.
• If you store water, make sure all containers are tightly covered to keep mosquitoes out.
• Scrub outdoor containers that have held water with hot, soapy water to kill any potential mosquito eggs.
• Wear mosquito repellent when spending time outdoors.

If you will be traveling to an area with Zika virus:

• Use insect repellent. Look for these ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, or para-Menthane-3,8-diol (PMD). Reapply often, as directed on the product label. Remember to apply sunscreen first and then insect repellent.
• Cover exposed skin when possible.
• Stay and sleep in screened-in or air-conditioned rooms. Use a bed net if you're sleeping outside.   
• Watch for symptoms after you get home.
• Call your doctor immediately if you suspect Zika.
• Use insect repellent for 3 weeks after travel.
• Use condoms when you have sex for at least 6 months.

Pregnant? Trying to conceive?

Zika is linked to birth defects. Pregnant women should consider postponing travel to any area with Zika. If your male partner travels to these areas, either use condoms or don't have sex for the rest of your pregnancy.  
Additional Resource from the CDC 

West Nile Virus* 

West Nile virus (WNV) activity continues to increase throughout California. In Alameda County, a total of 11 birds (all American crows) and 2 mosquito samples have tested positive for WNV in 2016.  Fall is typically the peak of West Nile virus activity in the state.  Reporting dead birds to the West Nile virus hotline (877-WNV-BIRD) is crucial to our WNV surveillance program in Alameda County.  The hotline will remain staffed through October 14th. Internet reporting for dead birds is available year round at http://www.westnile.ca.gov/report_wnv.php. Statewide a total of 1,283 dead birds, 3,249 mosquito samples, 296 sentinel chickens, and 276 humans have tested positive for WNV.  Nine WNV related human fatalities have also been reported.  The totals for California's WNV activity are updated weekly and can be found at  www.westnile.ca.gov. 

*Data as of September 30, 2016
Alameda County WNV Activity

Quarterly Numbers

 Upcoming Events 

• Alameda County Fall Home & Garden Show (Alameda County Fairgrounds) - September 30th, October 1st, and October 2nd
• Tropics Resources Fair (Tropics Mobile Home Park) - October 15th
• San Leandro Library Health Fair - December 3

All Events