Overview

• The multi-agency initiative has set traps at select Sea to Sky sites and begun testing mosquitoes for California Serogroup viruses.
• The project follows four late-2024 encephalitis cases linked to local transmission of Snowshoe Hare and Jamestown Canyon viruses.
• Collected data will update regional mosquito species lists and detect human pathogens to guide public health measures.
• With no available vaccine for these viruses, officials stress repellent use, protective clothing and diligent standing-water control.
• Officials warn that warmer conditions linked to climate change may extend mosquito activity beyond October, raising infection risk.