Mosquitoes in El Paso’s Upper Valley test positive for West Nile Virus

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Some mosquitoes in the Upper Valley have tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV).

The virus, which spreads through mosquito bites, can be especially dangerous for people who are elderly or who have underlying medical conditions.

The City of El Paso Department of Public Health says that residents can help prevent the spread of WNV by using repellents while outdoors, dressing with long sleeves and pants, limiting outside activity to the time around dusk and dawn, and draining standing water to limit mosquito reproduction.

WNV symptoms include fever, headache, tiredness, body aches, nausea, vomiting and swollen lymph glands.

"Eight out of 10 people infected with the WNV will not develop symptoms," health department officials say. "However, 1 in 5 people who are infected develop West Nile fever, an illness that includes a fever and other symptoms such as body aches, joint pain, headache, or a rash. About 1 out of 150 infected people develop severe illness affecting the central nervous system and about 1 out of 10 cases of severe illness are fatal."