Delinquent Mortgages, Neglected Swimming Pools, and West Nile Virus, California

[mixin]

Adjustable rate mortgages and the downturn in the California housing market caused a 300% increase in notices of delinquency in Bakersfield, Kern County. This led to large numbers of neglected swimming pools, which were associated with a 276% increase in the number of human West Nile virus cases during the summer of 2007.

Conclusions
Anthropogenic landscape change historically has facilitated outbreaks of pathogens amplified by peridomestic vectors such as Cx. pipiens complex mosquitoes and associated commensals such as house sparrows. The recent widespread downturn in the housing market and increase in adjustable rate mortgages have combined to force a dramatic increase in home foreclosures and abandoned homes and produced urban landscapes dotted with an expanded number of new mosquito habitats. These new larval habitats may have contributed to the unexpected early season increase in WNV cases in Bakersfield during 2007 and subsequently have enabled invasion of urban areas by the highly competent rural vector Cx. tarsalis. These factors can increase the spectrum of competent avian hosts, the efficiency of enzootic amplification, and the risk for urban epidemics.

.pdf http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/14/11/pdfs/08-0719.pdfhttp://www.cidrap.umn.edu/

 

[Sally Furniss]

Re: Delinquent Mortgages, Neglected Swimming Pools, and West Nile Virus, California

....Associated with home abandonment was the expanding number of neglected swimming pools, Jacuzzis (hot tubs), and ornamental ponds. As chemicals deteriorated, invasive algal blooms created green swimming pools that were exploited rapidly by urban mosquitoes, thereby establishing a myriad of larval habitats within suburban neighborhoods that were difficult to locate from the ground. These pools frequently were located within new housing tracts and not confined to old neighborhoods. An aerial photograph of a representative Bakersfield neighborhood shows the extent of the problem, with 17% of the visible 42 pools and Jacuzzis appearing green and likely producing mosquitoes .............

 

[tropical]

Re: Delinquent Mortgages, Neglected Swimming Pools, and West Nile Virus, California

By a neglected modern arch. to an revival of pre-bonification swamp efforts time.
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A little joke on that:
"... within suburban neighborhoods that were difficult to locate from the ground"
I suggest Google-Earth, or satellite pictures to locate all the neglected concrete holes/pools, than to be posted to the holders with an town established fine for "facilitating disease spreading by mosquito breeding". The collected money would be diverted for counter mosquitos at town level ...

Well, maybe it mustn't be a joke, it can be done ...