Response to virus too slow

Pat Swan

I was not surprised to read in the Daily Pilot on Saturday (“West

Nile virus found in Newport-Mesa”) that the virus was found in crows

in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. I am surprised that the residents of

these cities were not notified sooner after two dead crows tested

positive for the virus on July 16 and July 19. Why the delay from the

Orange County Vector Control to Newport Beach and Costa Mesa? Where

is the testing being done, and why is there a time delay? The time of

identifying West Nile virus and notifying the public did not happen

for 22 days, and that is not acceptable.

On July 23, I observed the disgusting condition of the storm drain

at Westcliff and Dover drives. The area near the mouth of the drain

was full of standing, stagnant green sludge, and a crow was drinking

from that mess. The flow from the drain into the culvert was narrowed

by the placement of sandbags. When I observed a crow drinking from

that drain, I called the city of Newport Beach General Services

Department and spoke to someone who said the storm drains were under

the jurisdiction of Orange County. I also mentioned the condition at

this location. I asked about the placement of the sandbags being used

to slow the motion of water to the culvert, and the Newport Beach

storm drain representative indicated the county was checking the flow

of the drain.

I requested that he call county vector control and report my

observations to remedy this situation. He unenthusiastically said

their calls to the county were seldom returned. So with those words

ringing in my ears, I called the Orange County Vector Control

District on July 23 and spoke to a gentleman who said he would speak

to his supervisor. On Monday, July 26 at 9:56 a.m., I received a call

from a representative from vector control indicating that he would

investigate. That afternoon, he reported that mosquito larva was

found at that location, and the area was treated. He indicated he

would notify the special services crew.

We are asked by the Orange County Vector Control District to

eliminate any standing water on our property, yet this very drain was

sandbagged by the county to monitor the flow of water and thus has

created a breeding ground for mosquitoes. This drain and probably

others along the culvert are disasters waiting to happen because many

residents live along Dover and Westcliff drives.

The Mariners School, Mariners Library and adjacent park are prime

targets for mosquito infestation because of the proximity of the

drains and culvert. Please call your Newport Beach or Costa Mesa

officials and ask what your city is doing to protect their residents.

And call the Orange County Vector Control District and check the

status of their mosquito abatement work along culverts.

When I called on July 23 to report the condition of that storm

drain at Westcliff and Dover, a dead crow with West Nile had already

been found seven days earlier.

I would like to know the time frame for testing these birds and

notifying the communities that may have West Nile in their areas.

Again, the time of discovery and notifying Orange County residents is

prime information and, contrary to Newport Beach City Councilman

Steve Bromberg’s remark of surprise that this can strike in Newport

Beach, came as no surprise for me.

So I strongly suggest elected officials from Newport Beach and

Costa Mesa work with city staff and the county to keep citizens

apprised as soon as possible. We will never now whether the

mosquitoes that infected the two dead crows were bred from the

culvert and drains along Westcliff and Dover, but I believe this area

could be the site of breeding mosquitoes.

* PAT SWAN is a resident of Newport Beach.