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Public health lab wins award for raw‑milk H5N1 testing; county detects invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito
Summary
The county public health laboratory received national recognition for a novel H5N1 raw‑milk surveillance test. Public health officers also reported the first local detection in 2025 of the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito and urged residents to remove standing water and report daytime mosquito bites to vector control.
The county public health officer briefed supervisors Tuesday on two items: a national recognition for the county lab’s surveillance work and a new vector‑control threat.
Public health laboratory recognition: The department said the Santa Clara County Public Health Laboratory received a national model‑practice award for a surveillance method that tests raw milk for H5N1 avian influenza. The lab’s approach aimed to provide an early local signal to protect dairy workers and consumers.
Aedes aegypti detection and public guidance: The department reported the first 2025 detection locally of Aedes aegypti, an invasive mosquito species that can carry dengue, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever. Public health staff urged residents to take three steps: report daytime mosquito bites to the vector control district, remove or dump standing water (the mosquitoes can breed in very small amounts of water) and allow vector‑control experts access to neighborhoods where detections occur.
Why it matters: Aedes aegypti is not native to the county and, when present alongside imported human cases of mosquito‑borne disease, can enable local transmission. County officials asked community cooperation for trapping, source reduction and vector‑control work.
Committee action: Supervisors received the update; public health staff said they would continue surveillance and coordinate with vector‑control partners.
