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West Nile Virus Season Begins In Utah

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It’s the beginning of West Nile Virus season in Utah. So far officials at the Utah Department of Health have not discovered anyone who has contracted the disease. But state officials have identified eight pools of water around the state that have tested positive for West Nile. 

Rebecca Ward is the media liaison with the Utah Department of Health’s Bureau of Epidemiology.

"Every year about this time we typically see mosquito activity start to pick up and especially after the rain that we’re having now, we may actually see a little bit more activity after the rain," Ward says. 

The infected pools were found in Box Elder, Salt Lake, and Uintah Counties. Ward says this annual emergence of West Nile Virus is a good reminder for Utahns to dispose of standing water where they live.

Other precautions include using insect repellent at dawn and dusk and wearing clothes to cover up when outdoors.

The last West Nile Virus fatality in Utah occurred in 2016. More detailed information can be found on the Utah Department of Health website

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