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Greater LA County Vector Control briefs Cerritos on dengue, West Nile and sterile-insect pilot
Summary
A trustee and the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District briefed the council on mosquito-borne disease risks, district services and a sterile-insect pilot using x-rays; staff said the district serves Cerritos and is funded through property assessments (about $18.90 per single-family home annually).
The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District presented an informational report to the Cerritos City Council on mosquito surveillance, disease risk and control programs on June 26.
Mark Bowman, the city’s trustee to the district, introduced Caroline Gongora, the district’s public information coordinator, who reviewed local mosquito-borne disease trends, core services and a pilot program using a sterile-insect technique.
What the district told the council
- Scope and funding: Gongora said the district provides mosquito, black fly and nonbiting midge control in Cerritos and that services are funded through property and special assessment taxes "which currently, per a single family home, is $18.9 annually." She noted the district operates year-round surveillance and treatment of public sources.
- Disease activity: the district highlighted dengue as a concern after local transmission was detected in recent years; Gongora said, "In 2023 and 2024, we did have local transmission... As you can see there on the screen, we did have 14 cases in LA County alone. In 2024, those 3 were within our district." The district also described ongoing West Nile virus surveillance.
- Research and control innovations: Gongora described the district’s sterile-insect technique pilot: "This is a pilot program that we launched last year where we are using x-rays to sterilize male mosquitoes... when these sterile male mosquitoes mate with the wild females... their eggs do not hatch." The pilot, deployed in two neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley, showed reductions in the targeted mosquito population, the presentation said.
- Operations and public engagement: the district stressed inspections and door-to-door yard inspections, green-pool response, storm-drain treatments and public education, and noted more than 5,000 inspections in 2024.
Council reaction and follow-up
Council members and staff asked clarifying questions about seasonal staffing, storm-drain work and surveillance; staff thanked the district and encouraged continued public outreach.
No council action was required; the presentation was informational.
Quote
- Caroline Gongora, Public Information Coordinator, Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District: "We are the vector control district that serves the city of Cerritos... we provide mosquito, black fly, and nonbiting midge control services, which are funded through property and special assessment taxes, which currently, per a single family home, is $18.9 annually."
