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Greater Los Angeles Vector Control briefs Glendale council on dengue, West Nile and sterile‑insect pilot
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Summary
Suzanne Klune, general manager of the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District, updated the council on mosquito‑borne disease activity, local services paid by an $18.97 annual charge, and a countywide sterile‑insect pilot the district hopes to expand.
The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District presented an overview to the Glendale City Council on its mosquito and vector control services, recent disease activity and a new non‑chemical pilot that sterilizes male mosquitoes before release.
Suzanne Klune, the district’s general manager, told the council the district covers Glendale and several other cities, is funded in part by a resident charge of $18.97 per year for mosquito, black‑fly and non‑biting midge control, and performs routine surveillance and door‑to‑door response to service requests. She said the district mapped about 2,500 potential mosquito breeding sources in Glendale and performed roughly 6,000 inspections or treatments there in 2024.
Klune said mosquito‑borne disease has been a growing concern: the county had locally transmitted dengue in recent years. The district recorded about three locally acquired dengue cases in its jurisdiction last year and 14 countywide; it also reported about 140 imported dengue cases in the district during the period cited. The district continues surveillance for West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis.
The district described integrated vector management — surveillance, targeted control and public education — and highlighted a sterile‑insect technique pilot being used in parts of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The method involves x‑ray sterilization of male mosquitoes and release of the sterilized males to reduce future mosquito populations without pesticides. Klune asked that the city help by sharing the district’s outreach on social media and city channels and by advising residents to report standing water and request service when they see mosquito problems.
Council members asked whether breeding is seasonal and whether the district handles non‑flying pests; Klune said residents should begin seasonal vigilance after rains and that the district focuses on flying insects (mosquitoes, black flies, non‑biting midges) while LA County Vector or public‑health programs handle rodents, fleas and ticks.
