MERIDIAN, Idaho — For the first time in 2022, the Ada County Mosquito Abatement District on Friday confirmed the presence of West Nile virus in mosquitoes.
The samples of mosquitoes that tested positive were collected near North Five Mile Road and West Nazareth Way (just south of McMillan) in Boise and East Deer Flat Road and South Cloverdale Road in Kuna.
Mosquitoes collected in late July in Elmore and Payette counties also tested positive for West Nile.
West Nile virus is most commonly transmitted through mosquitoes to people and large animals, including livestock. It's not typically spread through person-to-person contact.
Truck-mounted mosquito abatement treatments have begun in the areas surrounding the detection sites. The Ada County Mosquito Abatement District will continue to monitor and treat mosquito populations throughout the district to control mosquito populations and prevent West Nile from being transmitted to humans and livestock.
Ada is the third county in Idaho where West Nile has been detected this year in mosquitoes. No human cases of West Nile have been reported so far. 16 people in Idaho were infected with the virus in 2021.
To help prevent the spread of West Nile virus, the following precautions are recommended:
- Drain or pump standing water weekly from flowerpots, planter bases, bird baths, toys, cans, gutters, pet dishes, buckets and old tires.
- Ensure screen doors and windows are tight-fitting and in good condition.
- Avoid overwatering your lawn or other landscaping.
- Limit outdoor activities at dawn and dusk. Those are the times when mosquitoes that transmit West Nile are most active. If you need to be outside around dawn or dusk, dress in long-sleeve shirts and long pants, preferably in light colors.
- Apply insect repellent following label instructions.
West Nile season tends to run mid to late summer. In 2021, Ada County's first positive test pool occurred on July 27 and the final discovery was on Sept. 15.
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