Here's another way the mortgage meltdown appears poised to come back to bite hard-pressed communities in Los Angeles: Empty houses run the risk of becoming breeding grounds for mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus and other diseases.
Government officials in Los Angeles are alerting the public about what is expected to be a busy breeding season for mosquitoes. The heavy rains of the past several months, which led to some instances of flooding in Los Angeles and other areas, have left a lot of standing water behind in ditches, gutters, drain pipes, and any containers left in the open. Any standing water is a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes, especially as the weather warms up.
Foreclosed and unoccupied properties continue to pose a challenge for efforts to control the mosquito population this year, so public officials are asking residents to report any vacant houses that might be sources for breeding.
The recent wave of foreclosures hit many inner-city neighborhoods particularly hard, thanks in part to marketing efforts that focused on Latino-American and African-American homebuyers with offers of sub-prime mortgages. Sub-prime mortgages and other non-standard financing methods — so-called "exotic" loans — grew in popularity in the years prior to the current economic downturn. Sub-prime loans typically come with low initial interest rates, but often rise steadily in subsequent years, often going well beyond market standards. Many homeowners found themselves unable to keep up with rising monthly payments in recent years, which in turn led to a large numbers of foreclosures in inner-city neighborhoods. The trend has since grown to include standard mortgages and higher-priced homes, but the trail of foreclosed properties remains significant in many working- and middle-class sections of Los Angeles.
The combination of factors has officials of the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California and the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District encouraging residents to be extra vigilant in preventing mosquito bites.
Residents are being urged to eliminate any standing water or other mosquito breeding sources around their homes, wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts if mosquitoes are around, use approved insect repellents, and report mosquito breeding problems in their neighborhood.
California saw 112 human cases of West Nile virus in 2009, with four fatalities. The symptoms of the virus can range from muscle aches and slight headaches to deadly effects. Infants and the elderly are generally considered to face the highest risks of severe cases of the virus.
Call the Los Angeles County information line at 2-1-1 for more information in English, Spanish and other languages.
Photo by James Gathany, CDC.
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