Record Number of West Nile-Infected Mosquitos Plague Las Vegas

Posted on: June 12, 2024, 12:40h. 

Last updated on: June 12, 2024, 01:51h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas, Las Vegas Myths.

Las Vegas is buzzing in a bad way right now. The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) has positively identified more than 3,000 mosquitos infected with West Nile virus. That’s the highest level of infectious mosquitos in the known history of Las Vegas.

AI depicts a swarm of mosquitos attacking Las Vegas. (Image: ChatGPT)

The tested mosquitos were part of 91 mosquito pools monitored by the agency across 16 zip codes, according to an SNHD press release. Health officials attribute the rise to an increased presence of Aedes aegypti, a particularly aggressive species of biters drawn more to people than birds and other animals.

Exactly what led to the Aedes aegypti’s increased presence isn’t known, but this is the first time any mosquitos of this species have tested positive for West Nile virus in Clark County,

Symptoms, Severity Prevention

An Aedes aegypti mosquito sucks human blood. (Image: Getty)

About one in five people infected with West Nile will develop symptoms. These can include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, and a rash.

About 1 in every 150 human cases will prove serious, and 1 in every 1,500 will prove fatal.

Health officials encourage all visitors and residents to take preventive measures during the summer months.

These include:

  1. Using EPA-registered insect repellent
  2. Avoiding standing water
  3. Wearing loose-fitting clothes, including long-sleeved shirts and pants.

Minimal human cases of West Nile virus were reported from 2020-23, with only two last year. However, 43 human cases virus were reported in 2019.

Two of the mosquito pools, comprising 46 individuals from two zip codes, also tested positive for the virus that causes St. Louis encephalitis. This is the first time that virus has been reported in Clark County mosquitos since 2019.

No human cases of that disease have been reported since 2016, according to the SNHD.

While in Las Vegas, the Health District’s surveillance program encourages visitors to report any mosquito activity they see to (702) 759-1633.