Two West Nile Virus-associated deaths confirmed

The City of El Paso Department of Public Health (DPH) announced today that two West Nile virus-related deaths have been confirmed in the area.

“It has been four years since our City has seen a West Nile-related death and this news is hard to report,” said Robert Resendes, Public Health Director. “We extend our condolences to these individuals’ loved-ones and remind the community to prevent mosquito breeding and mosquito bites as a way to help prevent this disease.”

The patients are a woman in her early 50’s and a man in his early 80’s. Both had underlying conditions. The woman’s illness had already been reported, however; the man is considered a newly-reported case.

The 7^th case is a man in his early 30’s who does not have underlying conditions.

The following is a table of the cases reported to the DPH so far this season:

	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
NEW/Deceased	6.	Male	Early 80’s	Underlying Medical Conditions
NEW	7.	Male	Early 30’s	No Underlying Medical Conditions

 

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.
• 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.

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.