Two New West Nile Virus Cases Brings Total to 13

Staff Report September 20, 2017

Two new confirmed cases of West Nile Virus in two El Paso men brings the total number of cases in El Paso to 13 so far this season.

The new cases involve a man in his 70’s who lives in the Mission Valley and a man in his early 60’s who lives on the city’s eastside. Both have reported underlying medical conditions.

Health officials credit local health care providers for properly identifying cases and following through with reporting this notifiable disease.

“We invite the community to join us and take mosquito-borne disease prevention seriously,” said Fernando Gonzalez, Lead Epidemiologist. “This weekend’s Zika Action Day event will provide an opportunity for families and individuals to learn and gain a better understanding of what they can do to help prevent diseases like West Nile Virus and Zika.”

The Zika Action Day will take place on Saturday, September 23, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at Memorial Park located at the corner of Luna Street and Wheeling Avenue.

The following is a compilation of cases identified by Department of Public Health Epidemiology Division so far this year:

Case	Gender	Age	Residence
13	Male	Early 60’s	Eastside	New
12	Male	Early 70’s	Mission Valley	New
11	Male	Mid 20’s	Central
10	Male	Late 50’s	Mission Valley
9	Male	Late 70’s	Westside
8	Female	Late 60’s	Central
7	Female	Early 70’s	East Colonia
6	Male	Mid 70’s	Socorro
5	Male	Late 40’s	Westside
4	Male	Mid 70’s	Central
3	Male	Mid 40’s	Mission Valley
2	Male	Early 50’s	Eastside
1	Male	Mid 40’s	Eastside

The most effective way to avoid West Nile virus disease and other mosquito-borne illnesses, is to prevent mosquito bites. Defend yourself by using the 4 D’s:
• DEET – Use insect repellents when you go outdoors.

• DRESS – When weather permits, wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks when outdoors.

• DUSK and DAWN – Although mosquitoes associated with 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 – Help reduce the number of mosquitoes around and outside your home by emptying standing water from flowerpots, gutters, buckets, pool covers, pet water dishes, discarded tires, and birdbaths on a regular basis.