West Nile Virus Mosquitoes Found in Ashdod; Health Ministry Issues Guidelines

The Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection announced on Friday that mosquitoes infected with the West Nile virus have been captured in the city of Ashdod. This discovery was made during routine monitoring activities conducted by the ministry throughout the year, with laboratory confirmation from the Ministry of Health.

In response to these findings, the Ministry of Environmental Protection has instructed all local authorities, and Ashdod Municipality specifically, to intensify prevention, monitoring, public awareness, and pest control efforts. The goal is to minimize the risk of the infected mosquitoes spreading and to protect public health.

Dr. Shay Reichler, Director of the Pests and Pest Control Department at the Ministry of Environmental Protection, stated that the captured mosquitoes were identified during trapping operations across the country. He emphasized that the ministry has provided detailed instructions to the municipality for immediate action to reduce the risk to public health. Reichler also encouraged the public to eliminate standing water sources near their homes and report any mosquito nuisances to their local authority.

The ministry reminded the public that the risk of mosquito proliferation increases during the summer due to standing water and humid weather. Local authorities are responsible for removing such nuisances in public areas. The ministry outlined public guidelines, including draining standing water in containers, using mosquito repellent, installing window screens, wearing protective clothing, using fans, and reporting mosquito problems to the local municipality's hotline.

From June to November each year, there is an expected increase in mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus. The Ministry of Environmental Protection conducts thousands of larval monitoring tests and hundreds of adult mosquito traps annually, with positive samples sent to the Ministry of Health for confirmation. The ministry highlighted the importance of resident reporting in enabling authorities to effectively target their control efforts and stated that ongoing monitoring will continue nationwide.