On Wednesday, officials with the City of El Paso Department of Public Health announced they confirmed the area’s 14th cases of West Nile virus.
A man in his early 60’s with underlying medical conditions, was confirmed to have contracted the virus but is recovering at home.
”We continue to stress that even though our weather is cooling down a bit, we are seeing more rainy weather and there is no reason to think that mosquitoes are no longer a threat,” said Fernando Gonzalez, Lead Epidemiologist. “If we don’t protect ourselves from mosquito bites, we will continue to see the number of cases increase.”
The best way to avoid exposure to mosquito-borne diseases is to practice the “four Ds”:
- DEET– Use insect repellents that contain DEET when outdoors.
- DRESS– Wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks when outdoors.
- DUSKand 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.
You can also mosquito-proof your home by installing or repairing screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out.
To report standing water or mosquito breeding call 3-1-1.
1. | Female | Late 70’s | Underlying Medical Conditions | |
2. | Female | Late 70’s | Underlying Medical Conditions | |
Deceased | 3. | Female | Early 50’s | Underlying Medical Conditions |
4. | Female | Early 30’s | No Underlying Medical Conditions | |
5. | Male | Late 30’s | No Underlying Medical Conditions | |
Deceased | 6. | Male | Early 80’s | Underlying Medical Conditions |
7. | Male | Early 30’s | No Underlying Medical Conditions | |
8. | Female | Mid 70’s | Underlying Medical Conditions | |
9. | Male | Early 80’s | Underlying Medical Conditions | |
10. | Female | Mid 70’s | Underlying Medical Conditions | |
11. | Male | Early 80’s | Underlying Medical Conditions | |
12. | Female | Early 30’s | No Underlying Medical Conditions | |
13 | Male | Late 80’s | Underlying Medical Conditions | |
NEW | 14. | Male | Early 60’s | Underlying Medical Conditions |