Mosquitoes Test Positive for West Nile Virus in Hennepin County

If it seems like mosquitoes have been particularly bothersome this summer, experts from the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD) say you’d be right. Although we’re not quite at where we would expect, considering all the rain we’ve had.

“And that is really just a factor of coming off of extended period of drought,” said Alex Carlson, the public affairs manager of the MMCD. “So it’s gonna take you a couple years for the mosquitoes to fully rebound to back to where they were pre-drought levels. But the rain this year has definitely helped start to bring those numbers back up.”

Carlson says even though the summer is starting to wind down, this is the time of year when the risk for West Nile virus elevates.

He says they’ve found mosquitoes that carry West Nile in all seven metro area counties, but most of the species that have tested positive for West Nile don’t bite humans as often.

A staff member from the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District searches for mosquito larvae.

Still, Carlson encourage folks to be vigilant.

“Even though mosquito numbers have gone down quite a bit, it still is a good idea to take those precautions you would in the early summer — wearing the bug spray, making sure you’re covering up in the evening hours when mosquitoes are most active and then removing any standing water just to keep them from proliferating,” Carlson said.

The CDC reports that Minnesota has three reported cases of West Nile virus in humans so far this year.

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