Southern Nevada Health District announces detection of first West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes in Clark County

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – The Southern Nevada Health District announced the detection of the first West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes in Clark County.

The health district’s mosquito disease surveillance program has trapped and identified West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes in ZIP codes 89031 and 89032. To date, more than 9,000 mosquitoes have been tested in 2024.

Clark County has seen a substantial increase in the number of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Unlike typical mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti is an aggressive daytime biter that prefers to feed on humans rather than birds. They are persistent ankle biters, with a single female capable of taking numerous bites. Since the initial identification of Aedes aegypti in 2017 in four zip codes in Clark County, their presence has expanded to 12 zip codes in 2022 and 43 in 2023.

The health district said it is urging residents to join the “Fight the Bite” campaign to reduce the impact of mosquitoes. The campaign calls on people to eliminate stagnant water; prevent mosquito bites by taking appropriate precautions; and report mosquito activity to the health district surveillance program at 702-759-1633.