STUDIO CITY — An additional 26 mosquito samples have tested positive for the West Nile virus (WNV) in Los Angeles County, the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District (GLACVCD) announced on Friday, October 9. 

The new findings bring the total number of samples positive for the virus within the district’s service area to 264 samples this year, vector officials said. The new samples all “stem from areas previously identified as positive for West Nile virus,” according to Vector Control.

The Studio City area has registered 10 WNV-positive mosquito samples to date. Also among the most affected parts of the county are Encino and North Hollywood, with 14 samples, Valley Village with 13, Van Nuys and Pico Rivera with 12, and Toluca Lake with 10.  

“The warm fall temperatures help West Nile virus and mosquito season continue later into the year,” said Anais Medina Diaz, public information officer for GLACVCD, in a statement. “Residents need to continue practicing mosquito control in their homes by eliminating standing water and wearing insect repellent to protect themselves.”

Vector Control conducted a mosquito treatment in Studio City on August 27 “to control mosquito populations and reduce the risk of West Nile virus transmission.” The area was deemed to have “the right conditions” for the treatment to be “most effective.” 

The West Nile Virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. Infected individuals may experience “mild symptoms including fever, muscle aches, and tiredness,” according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. 

There are a number of measures residents can take to reduce mosquito population, including eliminating standing water wherever it may be (buckets, clogged rain gutters, watering troughs) and especially in anything that holds water for more than a week, according to Vector Control. 

Residents can also prevent mosquito bites by applying “mosquito repellent to exposed skin before going outdoors and reapply as recommended on the label,” and by wearing “light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and long pants,” among other measures. 

Public Health has identified 27 human cases of WNV in Los Angeles County. As of October 2, there have been 93 confirmed human cases in California.