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It’s that time of the year again when mosquitoes take advantage of the consistently warm climate, and Harris County health officials are urging the public to take precautions.
Houston CW affiliate KIAH reported that Dr. Maximea Vigilant, the new head of Harris County Public Health’s (HCPH) Mosquito and Vector Control Division, said a couple of things her office does to get an upper hand is trap and test.
“We have not tracked any positive mosquito samples (for West Nile Virus) from our surveillance and testing so far this year,” Vigilant said, KIAH reported. “However, as we have seen in the past, a sudden surge of a virus in a mosquito population can happen at any time and pose a threat to residents in our communities.”
One virus in particular that the public should protect themselves from – especially from May to October – is West Nile.
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an infected mosquito can spread West Nile by simply biting people.
KIAH reported that West Nile claimed the life of an 80-year-old man last year while four others in Harris County who were infected went on to survive.
Houston NPR affiliate Houston Public Media (HPM) reported that HCPH foresees a mosquito population boom this year.
"We're prone to hurricanes, tropical storms and wet conditions, as well as hot weather," HCPH Executive Director Barbie Robinson said in the report. "And these types of conditions lead to an increase in mosquito problems in populations."
Officials have provided what can be considered the three T’s to combating a mosquito infestation as the mercury rises.
Residents are urged to tip standing water from open containers to deprive mosquitoes of the chance to breed, toss anything that holds water and take action, as in applying bug spray to areas of your home where mosquitoes are likely to be found, HPM reported.