Greater LA County Vector Control warns of dengue risks, outlines control tools including sterile‑male pilot

The Public Safety Committee received a briefing June 18 from the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District about mosquito control operations, rising risk from Aedes aegypti and plans for new control methods.

Suzanne Klute, general manager of the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District, told the committee the district is funded by a property‑tax assessment that currently charges a single‑family home about $18.97 per year and that the district is one of five special independent vector districts serving the county. Klute said the district recorded about 140 imported dengue cases last year and detected three locally transmitted dengue cases in its service area; she said Los Angeles County reported 14 locally transmitted cases and Southern California 18 cases overall.

Klute described the district’s integrated vector management approach — surveillance, neighborhood control and resident education — and listed several operational focuses: treatment of unmaintained swimming pools, treatment of clogged street gutters, an extensive underground storm‑drain treatment program and coordination with the Army Corps on vegetation removal from flood control channels. She said the district maintains a record of roughly 80,000 breeding sources in its portion of the city and that routine surveillance includes mosquito trapping and submission of samples to UC Davis for disease testing.

On new technologies, Klute described a pilot to release sterilized male mosquitoes (sterile insect technique) in a small area of Sunland‑Tujunga; she said the method is pesticide‑free and aims to reduce population by producing nonviable offspring. The district is exploring funding options for expansion.

Klute said the district had considered a Proposition 218 ballot measure to raise its assessment but early homeowner polling did not indicate sufficient support; the manager said the district may revisit a vote in 2027. She explained that Proposition 218 requires a ballot of property owners and approval by a majority (50% plus one) of returned ballots to change assessments.

The item was for discussion only. Committee members asked about reporting repeat problem locations, pool treatment after wildfires and the district’s service‑request process; Klute said residents can file service requests by phone or via the district website and that the district coordinates with city public‑works teams where repairs are needed.