West Nile Virus In Maricopa County: 70 Deaths, 941 Cases

PHOENIX, AZ — So far in 2021, Maricopa County has recorded a record 941 cases of West Nile virus and 70 deaths, according public health department data.

This blows away the previous annual record of 355 cases, set in 2004, according to a health department spokesperson.

And the number could still grow this year, with 498 cases that were not included in the official count still under review by the health department.

West Nile virus was first detected in Arizona in 2003, according to the Arizona Department of Public Health. People contract the disease when an infected mosquito bites them. West Nile is not transmitted through human-to-human contact.

Last year there was only one death in Maricopa County attributed to West Nile virus and just three cases, but 2020 was a particularly dry year for Arizona, which is not conducive to mosquito breeding.

The particularly wet Monsoon this summer contributed to the skyrocketing number of cases this year.

Previous annual West Nile virus human case counts, according to Maricopa County Department of Public Health records:

• 2011: 50 cases and two deaths
• 2012: 98 cases and four deaths
• 2013: 52 cases six deaths
• 2014: 93 cases and 12 deaths
• 2015: 62 cases and two deaths
• 2016: 63 cases and five deaths
• 2017: 93 cases and six deaths
• 2018: 24 cases and six deaths
• 2019: 155 cases and 17 deaths
• 2020: Three cases and one death

West Nile virus annual reports posted by the health department only go back to 2011.

The state health department has some tips for avoiding West Nile virus, the most effective of which is preventing mosquito bites. You can do this by using an EPA-registered insect repellant and having intact screens on windows and doors. Wearing long sleeves and pants can also protect you from bites.

You can help prevent mosquitos from breeding near your home by getting rid of standing water where mosquitoes lay their eggs. Even a small amount of standing water like in a flower pot or any upturned object that holds water is a potential mosquito breeding ground. You can treat standing water that you can't remove with larvicides that are usually are available at hardware stores, the state department of health advised.