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Foreclosures Causing West Nile?

Date:August 20, 2007 | Author:Amy Bohutinsky | Category:Real Estate

That headline makes me feel like a tabloid reporter, but according to Friday’s San Diego Union-Tribune, it’s not too hard to connect the dots between the increasing number of foreclosures in Southern California and more cases of potentially deadly West Nile Virus reported this year.

The article (hat tip to REALTOR Magazine Online for highlighting today) talks about what happens to swimming pools when homes are abandoned (i.e., they turn green and gross and start to hatch mosquitos). Potentially tens of thousands of mosquito larvae begin to accumulate and breed in pools that are left unattended, creating a perfect breeding ground for the West Nile Virus, which is then passed from mosquitos, to birds, to humans. Southern California has more swimming pools than anywhere else in the country, so this theory starts to make sense.

California alone is seeing three times the West Nile cases in humans now versus a year ago. Meanwhile, numerous sources report rising numbers of foreclosures in California and elsewhere as the housing market cools, mortgage rates rise and homeowners feel the tight squeeze. Not a pretty scene.

Yikes.

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Responses (8)

0 tweets 0 likes 8 comments

Free Foreclosure Help 10:36 PM - Feb 27,2008

This summer we will see the West Nile virus spreading as a result of the empty foreclosure homes and half filled pools.
Real Estate Resource 8:27 PM - Mar 26,2008

Bad news to the homeowners. Can’t they do something about this?

-Jan
Tax Lien Properties 8:19 AM - Apr 26,2008

I have a real problem with the government taking money out of my check to give to someone that made a bad choice and bought more house than they can afford. I also have a problem with my tax dollars being used to bail out billion dollar corporations.

There is a thing called personal choice and people should be responsible for it.
Joanne G. Apat 8:45 AM - Jan 3,2010

I wonder what’s the percentage rate of foreclosures now since recession took its toll?
Antelope Valley Homes 2:07 PM - Jun 23,2010

There are a lot of homes that have pools and I have shown properties where the water is green and becoming a mosquito haven. I don’t think most people put two and two together between vacant pool homes and the West Nile Virus, even if it should be easy to do. People also didn’t realize in the 12th century that they were spreading the Black Plague via ships and letting the disease out on the backs of rats at all the ports. Only problem is, the mosquitos have wings and they can fly around and don’t need to be transported. That means that the West Nile Virus has a lot of potential to get much worse. What a scary thought.