West Nile Season

Jessica Wanke
The Arizona Republic

Jun. 21, 2005

There were 10 documented cases of Ahwatukee Foothills residents contracting the West Nile virus last year, according to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. There have been no human cases of the virus yet this year, though county health officials are urging those in the area to protect themselves.

Mosquitoes carry the viral disease, and mosquitoes are attracted to standing water. With the large number of pools, lakes and decorative ponds in the Foothills, the water could be a breeding site for the bugs. Property owners are encouraged to aerate bodies of water and keep them free from algae. Mosquito samples taken in north Mesa have tested positive for the disease this year.

If contracted in humans, the disease can be fatal or cause permanent physical ailments. Some of those who survived West Nile cases last year now suffer from fatigue and impaired mobility.

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