Health officials confirm 4th case of West Nile virus in El Paso

Health officials confirmed a fourth case of West Nile virus Wednesday in El Paso.

The patient was only described as a man in his 30 who lives in the Lower Valley.

With recent rains, the City of El Paso Department of Public Health urge resident to remove standing water, which can create breeding conditions for the mosquitoes outside their homes.

“With both West Nile and Zika viruses posing a threat to our community’s health, we want to make sure that residents practice the ‘Tip and Toss’ efforts we have been promoting for several months,” Robert Resendes, the Public Health Director, said in a news release. “With funding for Zika prevention at a standstill, it’s all the more important that we take personal initiative to halt the spread of mosquito-borne diseases and protect ourselves and families from mosquito bites.”

The Department of Public Health recommends the following tips to prevent mosquito bites:
Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants
Drain standing water both inside and outside your home – Tip and Toss!
Stay in cool places with air conditioning and window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside
Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents with one of the following active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or para-menthane-diol (Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months old)
More information is available at www.EPHealth.com under the Zika Virus page
To report standing water or other mosquito breeding sites, call 3-1-1. Please be sure to provide address or street names with cross streets when calling.
Attend presentations on mosquito-borne disease prevention. This includes both Zika and West Nile. For more information or to schedule a presentation, click here.