Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus discovered in Las Vegas Valley

Mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus have been discovered in the Whitney Ranch area and are likely throughout the Las Vegas Valley, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.

Some mosquitoes in the 89014 ZIP code tested positive for the virus, officials said. No human cases of the West Nile virus have been reported this year.

The virus infected eight people in 2012, killing one, and infected 11 in 2011, the district reported.

Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, swollen lymph glands and skin rash on the chest, stomach and back. In some cases, the virus can cause severe illness or death.

The illness is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes and is not spread person-to-person.

To report standing bodies of water where mosquitoes breed, the district recommends contacting local code enforcement agencies.

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