Overview

• Santa Cruz County confirmed Aedes aegypti near downtown Boulder Creek, marking the county’s second detection after a 2022 find around Watsonville.
• The California Department of Public Health verified the identification, and local vector control initiated an expanded operation in the affected area.
• Crews deployed species‑specific traps that use a human‑scent lure, are collecting larvae samples, and are performing door‑to‑door property inspections.
• Officials urge residents to dump even small amounts of standing water, scrub containers where eggs can stick, use EPA‑registered repellents, and report daytime bites or suspected breeding sites.
• The discovery aligns with broader statewide activity, with the species reported in at least 26 counties and established in at least 19, along with recent detections in Contra Costa and at the Alameda County Fairgrounds and local dengue transmission reported in 2024 in Los Angeles and San Diego counties.