The Santa Clara County Vector Control District scheduled the ground fogging after determining that a sampling of adult mosquitoes from the Moorpark Avenue and Winchester Boulevard area of San Jose tested positive for West Nile Virus.
West Nile Virus is transmitted by mosquito bites and can cause mild to severe flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache and body ache. In severe cases, the virus can cause significant neurological symptoms and even death, according to the District.
The fogging area is bordered by Pruneridge Avenue and Hedding Street on the north, Saratoga Avenue on the west, Interstate Highway 880 on the east, and Payne Avenue on the south.
Residents in the area will receive information next week, and are invited to participate in a community meeting on Friday at the Asian Americans for Community Involvement Community Center, in room 210, at 6:30 p.m.
While none of the state's 129 reported cases of the virus in 2009 were confirmed in Santa Clara County, the District said that fogging to suppress infected mosquitoes is necessary to reduce the risk of transmission.
At the start of May, officials from the District found three dead crows in Santa Clara County that tested positive for West Nile Virus. At the time, there were no cases of virus-positive mosquitoes, but officials said that dead birds are an early warning system indicating the presence of the virus.
