Mosquito Madness: Beware the Flying Tigers

June 28 -- A new mosquito carrying potentially fatal diseases has made it all the way to Southern California from Asia.

The tiger mosquito, originally from southern China, is striped like its namesake. And while tiny as an insect, it could be as fearsome as any wild feline: the tiger mosquito may carry diseases such as dengue fever and encephalitis, both of which can be deadly.

"They are vicious biters and are aggressive biters, seeking blood meals in order to lay [a] fertilized batch of eggs," said Minco Madon, director of vector control for the Los Angeles area. "They need that protein."

The L.A. County Health Department has for years inspected all plant shipments from China, but some recent shipments of "lucky bamboo" managed to get by officials.

They Bite During the Day

"It bites during the day, as opposed to most mosquitoes that bite only at night — and it's quite vicious," said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of the L.A. County Public Health Department. "So that's obviously one concern. But the potential is obviously of concern, as well, and that is to transmit viral infections."

A nursery in Pomona Valley first found the mosquitoes on their plants, and now the public is being warned.

Officials say the key now is to find all of the mosquitoes in Southern California before they lay any eggs and spread.

So far, none of the mosquitoes found have carried any dread disease.

In the northeast, particularly New York City and its suburbs, several deadly cases of the West Nile virus in recent years have been traced to imported mosquitoes. That virus is carried by birds, but transmitted by mosquitoes that, until 1999, were unknown in the United States. ABC station KABC in Los Angeles contributed to this report.