If you’re planning a trip to Las Vegas, get ready for an exciting adventure in the city of lights.
From thrilling casinos and world-class entertainment to luxurious resorts and fine dining, Las Vegas has it all. However, amid all the excitement, don’t forget to pack your anti-mosquito sprays and repellents.
The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) announced on Monday that Las Vegas is experiencing a record level of mosquito activity this early in the year. The district is also receiving an increasing number of complaints from the public.
As of June 6, the district’s Mosquito Surveillance Program reported that 91 pools, comprising 3,081 mosquitoes from 16 zip codes, tested positive for West Nile Virus. Additionally, two mosquito pools, comprising 46 mosquitoes from two zip codes, tested positive for the virus that causes St. Louis encephalitis.
The increase in mosquito activity is attributed to the spread of the Aedes aegypti mosquito in the region. “Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are known to be aggressive daytime biters that prefer feeding on people instead of birds and have tested positive for West Nile Virus for the first time in Clark County,” the health district stated.
You can find SNHD’s latest mosquito surveillance and map of mosquito surveillance sites, mosquito types and disease results can be found in thelink.
The last time mosquitoes in Clark County tested positive for St. Louis encephalitis was in 2019. There have not been any human cases of this virus since 2016. People can catch the virus if bitten by an infected mosquito, but most will not develop symptoms. About one in five people will get sick and experience fever, headache, rash, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue.
In some cases, approximately one in 150 people, the disease can become neuroinvasive, leading to encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord).
