LUBBOCK, Texas (NEWS RELEASE) – Lubbock Public Health has confirmed the presence of West Nile Virus (WNV) in mosquito samples collected within Lubbock County. As part of the area’s annual mosquito surveillance program, mosquito traps are placed across the community by local vector control teams and research partners. The mosquitoes are then tested for viruses at the Biological Threat Research Laboratory at Texas Tech University. The laboratory recently notified the health department that a mosquito sample has tested positive for WNV.
In response, vector control teams will increase mosquito spraying. The public is strongly encouraged to take precautions to reduce mosquito bites and help prevent the spread of the virus.
West Nile Virus is primarily a disease of birds, but humans can become infected when bitten by mosquitoes that have fed on infected birds. The virus is not spread from person to person…