Monsoon rain and humidity is great (at least I think so)… but with it comes mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus. Every year since West Nile virus was introduced to AZ in ‘04, we’ve had human cases of West Nile Virus (meaning it’s endemic now). The total number of cases bumps around every year from our high of 391 cases in 2004 to only 20 cases in 2009. Around 134 of those human cases were reported in Arizona, which is about our 10 year average.
Predicting when and where West Nile virus outbreaks will hit is a tricky game. CDC and other experts agree that weather was the driving force in last year’s national outbreak. But… we can take matters into our own hands and help prevent West Nile virus from spreading. The most important way to help prevent West Nile from spreading is to stop mosquito breeding. Remember to mosquito proof your house by removing standing water in containers where water may collect, repair window and door screens to keep mosquitoes out, and make sure pools are properly maintained and not green.
One summer we had tons of mosquitoes at our house and I discovered that I left a wheelbarrow under the eaves with monsoon water in it- and it was breeding tons of mosquitoes. Embarrassing to say the least.