FRESNO, Calif., Oct. 21 (UPI) -- A mosquito that can carry dengue and yellow fever has been found in California, with officials offering warnings and advice about keeping it from spreading.
"It could change the way we live in California if we don't stop it. Imagine not feeling safe to sit out in your backyard in the afternoons," said Tim Phillips of the Fresno Mosquito and Vector Control District.
The yellow fever mosquito, a white and polka-dotted insect that bites during the day, was first detected in June in Madera, Calif., and despite warnings to residents about mosquitoes laying eggs in standing water, has spread to the San Francisco Bay area, and this week to Fresno, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.
"This affects all of California," said Leonard Irby, district manager of Madera's abatement program. "Turn over plant saucers, wash out dog bowls, remember this mosquito can lay eggs even in the cracks of cement if water is left there."
None of the trapped insects, thus far, have carried disease, the newspaper said.
