Los Angeles reports surge in mosquito activity and West Nile cases

Los Angeles has become the U.S. city with the highest reported mosquito activity, according to local health officials. Record-high temperatures and an El Niño weather pattern have created favorable breeding conditions for mosquitoes in Southern California.

Residents have described the increase as severe. One TikTok user, who has lived in the area all her life, said the number of mosquitoes this summer was unprecedented and that she could not sit in her car with the windows down. > "You can’t even sit in your car with the windows down. They’re infested everywhere," she wrote.

Truman Hedding, a resident of El Segundo, said he spends evenings trying to eliminate the insects with an electric racket. > "Our kids have been covered head to toe in mosquito bites…It’s an absolute nightmare. We invest a lot of money to live in a beautiful town like El Segundo. The last thing we want is to stay up all night fighting mosquitoes," he told Fox 11.

The Los Angeles County public health department reported over 180 confirmed cases of West Nile virus this year, the highest number in nearly a decade. The native Culex mosquito, which acquires the virus from wild birds, is the primary vector. In neighboring Orange County, vector-control teams have removed more than 850 traps containing West Nile-positive mosquitoes.

Health officials also warned that invasive Aedes mosquitoes, known for biting exposed skin repeatedly, are present in the region and may increase the risk of disease transmission.