Drought restrictions had side benefit: Lowering risk of mosquito-borne disease

Shallow pools of water on lawns are ideal breeding grounds for the mosquitoes that transmit West Nile virus, the most common mosquito-borne disease in the United States.A new study by scientists from UCLA and three other universities found that reducing shallow pools of water where the insects lay their eggs is key to preventing the spread of the virus.The study, funded by a grant from the UC Office of the President and published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, found that California ’s water-use restrictions during the statewide drought from 2012 to 2016 led to a decrease in the number of mosquitoes that carry the virus.The researchers focused on Orange and Los Angeles counties, where 13.3 million of the state ’s 39.5 million residents live. They determined that without those water-use restrictions, the number of mosquitoes would have been 44% higher in Los Angeles County and 39% higher in Orange County.Dennis Lettenmaier, a UCLA professor of geography and the study ’s senior author, said the research demonstrates an added benefit — beyond water conservation — of cutting back on outdoor water use.“We are going to have a warmer climate, and the demand for water for outdoor irrigation in particular will go up,” Lettenmaier said. “Efforts to reduce urban water use have a secondary benefit: They reduce the abundance of the mosquitoes that are responsible for West Nile virus.”The study ’s other authors include Abinash Bhattachan, a former p...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news