El Paso sees new cases of West Nile, other virus returns

The city of El Paso’s health department confirms that there are four new cases of the West Nile virus in the borderland.

The cases were traced back to the 79932 and 79912 ZIP codes, both of which are in west El Paso County. Three women and a man were infected.

The Public Health Department says that these numbers are part of the usual trend we see for this time of the year. The recent rains are something that could affect breeding of mosquitoes.

The department says that El Paso has also tested positive for the Saint Louis encephalitis virus; the city hasn’t seen it since 2002.

Just like West Nile, most people that contract Saint Louis encephalitis have no apparent illness. Initial symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and tiredness. In extreme cases, inflammation of the brain occurs more often in older adults and can sometimes lead to death.

There are some simple precautions you can take to avoid the mosquito-related issues.
All you have to do is follow the four “D’s.”

Deet – use insect repellent whenever outdoors. Dress – wear long sleeves and pants when weather permits. Dusk and dawn – take extra care during peak mosquito-biting hours. Drain – help reduce the number of mosquitoes by emptying standing water around the house.

If at any time you would like to report standing water or mosquito breeding, you can call environmental services at 311.