Warmer-than-average temperatures and recent rainfall across the Las Vegas Valley have prompted the Southern Nevada Health District to begin routine mosquito surveillance activities about a month earlier than usual, the agency announced Monday.
Environmental health workers have started setting mosquito traps throughout the valley as part of the health district’s Mosquito Disease Surveillance Program. Early surveillance allows public health officials to closely monitor mosquito populations, identify species present in the community and detect signs of mosquito-borne viruses before peak mosquito season.
Traps are placed in parks, wash channels, wetlands, residential neighborhoods and other potential breeding sites. Mosquitoes collected in the field are taken to a laboratory at the health district’s Main Public Health Center, where they are sorted and cataloged by species and location. Samples are then sent to the Southern Nevada Public Health Laboratory to test for arboviruses, including West Nile virus.
“Starting mosquito surveillance one month early gives us a critical head start,” said Dr. Cassius Lockett, district health officer, in a statement. “With warmer temperatures and the potential for standing water from recent rains, mosquitoes can begin breeding sooner than usual. Taking action now allows us to detect virus activity early and respond quickly. Mosquito prevention starts at home, and we encourage residents to eliminate standing water before mosquito populations increase.”
In 2024, 12 non-neuroinvasive cases and 14 neuroinvasive cases of West Nile virus were reported in Clark County. In 2025, no human cases of West Nile virus were reported in the county.
The health district’s Fight the Bite campaign encourages residents to:
— Eliminate standing water around their homes.
— Use an EPA-registered insect repellent and wear protective clothing.
— Report mosquito activity to the Health District’s surveillance program at 702-759-1633.
— Report green pools to their local code enforcement agency.
Additional resources and prevention tips are available at www.snhd.info/mosquito.
Contact Tony Garcia at tgarcia@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0307. Follow @TonyGLVNews on X.
