More mosquitos in El Paso test positive for West Nile virus

The City of El Paso’s Department of Public Health announced Wednesday more mosquitos collected in our area have tested positive for the West Nile Virus.

Health officials said six traps have returned positive results for West Nile. The affected areas include Central El Paso, the Upper Valley, and Fabens.

Although no human cases of the virus have been reported in the El Paso area, officials are urging area residents about the importance of preventing mosquito bites.

“We are heading into the rainy season here locally, and that means more opportunities for mosquito breeding,” said Fernando Gonzalez, the lead epidemiologist with the health department. “We know that there are infected mosquitoes and as their number increases, so does the chance that they will spread the disease to someone in our population.”

In order to help prevent cases this year residents are asked to practice the following:

DEET – Use insect repellents that contain DEET when outdoors.

DRESS – Wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks when outdoors.

DUSK and DAWN – Although mosquitoes associated with other diseases such as Zika can be active throughout the day, residents should take extra care during peak mosquito biting hours (from dusk to dawn) or consider avoiding outdoor activities during these times.

DRAIN – Drain standing water from flowerpots, gutters, buckets, pool covers, pet water dishes, and birdbaths.