Summer 2024

The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) is reporting additional West Nile virus human cases. As of July 8, there have been 10 reported cases.

• Three of the 10 cases are female and seven are male.
• Of the females, one is younger than 50 and two are 50 or older.
• Of the males, three are younger than 50 and four are 50 or older.
• Seven of the 10 individuals were diagnosed with the neuroinvasive form of the illness, while three had the non-neuroinvasive form.

• Of the seven people with neuroinvasive disease, six are recovering and one has recovered. Of the three with non-neuroinvasive disease, one is recovering and two have recovered.

As of July 8, 341 mosquito pools (10,639 mosquitoes from 42 ZIP codes) tested positive for West Nile virus. Twenty-one mosquito pools (583 mosquitoes from eight ZIP codes) tested positive for St. Louis encephalitis.

Area residents can take steps to reduce the risk of mosquito-borne illnesses. SNHD’s Fight the Bite campaign calls on people to:

• Eliminate Standing Water: Remove breeding sources around their homes. Aedes aegypti breed in small containers that collect rain or irrigation water, such as children’s toys, wheelbarrows and plant saucers, and even bottle caps.
• Prevent Mosquito Bites: Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellent. Wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants.
• Report Mosquito Activity: Call SNHD’s surveillance program at (702) 759-1633. To report a green pool, people should contact their local code enforcement agency.

Both St. Louis Encephalitis and West Nile virus are spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. Most people infected with the virus will not develop symptoms and their cases will go unreported. Some people may develop a neuroinvasive form of the illnesses that cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord).

Fight the Bite tips and resources are available at www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/programs/mosquito-surveillance/mosquito-bite-prevention/ or on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/prevention/index.html.

To view SNHD’s seasonal mosquito surveillance reports, go to  www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/programs/mosquito-surveillance/arbovirus-update/.

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