More West Nile cases found at 18 locations

Kashmere Gardens, southeast 610 Loop are heaviest on mosquito-spread disease

As mosquito season picks up, health workers have found more cases of West Nile virus.

“National Mosquito Control Awareness Week is a good reminder that we cannot let our guard down from mosquitoborne illnesses,” said Umair Shah, executive director of Harris County Public Health, in news release.

Health workers have found mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus at 18 testing locations, the health agency said Tuesday in a news release. That’s a big increase from June 11, when just three infected pools were found.

A map of the infected areas, available at the Harris County Public Health website, shows the areas around Kashmere Gardens and Bunker Hill Village, as well as in the far southeast corner of the 610 Loop, had multiple locations test positive for West Nile.

Officials have so far found no evidence of other mosquitoborne illnesses, such as Zika, Dengue or Chikungunya.

Elizabeth Perez, director of communications, said mosquito sprayings helped indicate which areas had been affected. “We only spray for disease,” she said.

The agency’s initiative, “Protect the Bite Day and Night,” encourages people to remove standing water and apply insect repellant to protect against disease and mosquito infestations.

Perez stressed that residents should make sure they’re using insect repellant “as directed.” Some people, she said, “put it on once and keep it on all day.”

The first of the confirmations was made May 25, the month West Nile often starts showing up in Harris County mosquito traps. Confirmation of mosquitoes infecting people typically follows around July.