WHEN IT COMES TO WEST NILE VIRUS, DON’T LET DOWN YOUR GUARD. THE NEW MEXICO HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS CONFIRMED THREE NEW CASES OF WEST NILE VIRUS. THEY INCLUDE A 53 YEAR OLD BERNALILLO COUNTY MAN, A 57 YEAR OLD MAN FROM DONA ANA COUNTY, AND A 40 YEAR OLD MCKINLEY COUNTY MAN. ALL WERE HOSPITALIZED.
DEPARTMENT EPIDEMIOLOGIST CHAD SMELZER SAYS TRAPPING AND TESTING OF MOSQUITOS IS ON-GOING. HE SAYS THEY’RE ALSO TRAPPING AND TESTING MOSQUITOS FOR THE ZIKA VIRUS.
THIS LATEST GROUP OF CASES BRINGS THE YEARLY TOTAL TO FIVE WITH ONE FATALITY EARLY THIS YEAR. SMELZER SAYS THE THREAT FROM WEST NILE WILL BE AROUND UNTIL THE FIRST HARD FROST KILLS THE MOSQUITOS THAT TRANSMIT THE VIRUS.
