Maricopa County—So Far in 2023 30 reported cases West Nile virus infection in Maricopa County. This will exceed the pace of 2022. By 2021, the county has 1,478 confirmed cases and 101 deaths.

To avoid repeating numbers like this, the Maricopa County Department of Environmental Services is tracking mosquitoes and says the numbers are now under control.

“The virus goes from 0 to 60 very quickly, but it’s calmed down a bit now,” said John Townsend, manager of the Maricopa County Department of Environmental Services Vector Control Division. “When stagnant water starts to build up around it, it will really start to grow.”

Townsend said the summer heat is not only affecting people, it’s halving mosquito lifespans from six weeks to just three weeks.

Townsend helps oversee a team that sets up mosquito traps and tests for deadly diseases. There are 930 traps in the county, set at night and cleared in the morning.

The trap itself is very rudimentary: a cooler with dry ice, a fan that releases carbon dioxide that attracts mosquitoes, and a net that attracts mosquitoes.

“They are attracted to CO2,” Townsend says. “Every breath you take attracts mosquitoes.”

He said most infected mosquitoes bite at night, so long clothes and insect repellent are a must if you plan to walk or go outside after dark.

“Most of the mosquitoes you see in your backyard aren’t night-biting mosquitoes.

As for bugs that bite your ankles during the day, though annoying, they’re completely harmless, Townsend said.

Townsend says this season’s monsoon storms can cause mosquito numbers to spike, which is a concern during the summer months.

“If you have water in your yard, especially during storms and monsoon currents, you have to go dump it, or sooner or later you’ll start getting mosquitoes out of your yard,” says Townsend. says Mr.

The county offers tips on the 4 R’s. “fight with bytes“: Repel, Eliminate, Repair, Remind.