SNHD confirms first cases of West Nile virus amid severe mosquito season

Researchers at the Southern Nevada Public Health Laboratory test mosquitoes for virus. (Photo courtesy of Southern Nevada Health District)

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The Southern Nevada Health District has confirmed two cases of West Nile virus for this season, amid a major increase in mosquito activity.

One patient, a male over the age of 60, was diagnosed with a milder form of the illness that often presents with symptoms similar to the common flu, including fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. Health officials report the patient has recovered.

The second patient, a male over the age of 70, developed a more serious form of the illness, a neuroinvasive form that can cause inflammation of the brain and spinal cord leading to paralysis or a coma. However, health officials confirmed the 70-year-old patient has also recovered.

Those first confirmed cases come after health officials in Clark County reported the highest level of mosquito activity in the agency’s 20-year history of monitoring this month.

Last year, local health officials confirmed two cases of locally transmitted West Nile virus for the entire mosquito season, which typically lasts from June to October. But health officials warn the large increase in mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile Virus this season could lead to many more cases compared to last year.

There is precedent in Nevada for a spike in locally-transmitted West Nile virus. In 2019, the health district confirmed 43 cases of the illness in patients after mosquitoes tested positive for the virus across 43 zip codes.

As of June 21, about 7,500 mosquitoes from 30 zip codes tested positive for West Nile virus. Mosquitoes in another five zip codes tested positive for the virus that causes St. Louis encephalitis, a vector borne virus that can result in flu-like symptoms or, in more severe cases, a neuroinvasive form of the disease that can cause paralysis or a coma.

Public health officials are encouraging everyone to take steps to protect themselves. Clark County does not have an established mosquito control program to oversee the treatment and elimination of mosquito breeding, but the risk of mosquito-borne illnesses can be reduced by eliminating standing water around homes, and installing protective screens on doors, windows, and doggy doors.

Mosquito abatement programs in the U.S. have proven effective at reducing mosquito populations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that the only way to reduce mosquitoes and the dangers they pose is a comprehensive hands-on approach , including monitoring, targeted pesticide use, and systemic interventions by local governments.

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