Date: July 22, 2003

West Nile virus education to reach trail and park users

SAN JOSE - In an effort to educate county park and trail users about West Nile virus, Santa Clara County Vector Control District and Santa Clara Valley Water District have installed informational signs along county creeks, groundwater recharge ponds and reservoirs.

The signs urge residents to find out more about West Nile virus by requesting a recently-published pamphlet available in five languages from the vector control district, Santa Clara County Public Health Department and the water district.

According to the California Department of Health Services, West Nile virus was detected for the first time in California in a single human case last year in Los Angeles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported two human cases of West Nile virus so far in 2003, one in South Carolina and one in Texas.

The West Nile virus is spread to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes. The county vector control district advises residents to limit outdoor activity at dawn and dusk, use mosquito repellants and eliminate standing water around homes to reduce the chance of being bitten by a mosquito.

The Santa Clara Valley Water District manages Santa Clara County's wholesale drinking water resources, coordinates flood protection for its 1.7 million residents and provides stewardship for the county's 10 reservoirs and more than 700 miles of streams.

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