West Nile Virus Mosquitoes Found in Ashdod; Public Urged to Take Precautions

The Ministry of Environmental Protection has confirmed the capture of mosquitoes infected with the West Nile virus in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod. The ministry announced on Friday that routine monitoring throughout the year led to the discovery, with laboratory tests by the Ministry of Health verifying the mosquitoes as carriers of the virus.

In response to these findings, the Ministry of Environmental Protection has instructed all local authorities, and Ashdod Municipality in particular, 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, head of the Pests and Pest Control Department at the Ministry of Environmental Protection, stated that the mosquitoes carrying the virus were captured in Ashdod during recent nationwide trapping operations. He emphasized that the ministry has provided detailed instructions to the municipality for immediate action to reduce health risks.

Reichler also encouraged the public to eliminate standing water sources near their homes and report any mosquito nuisances to their local authority. He noted that the summer season, with its standing water and humid weather, increases the risk of mosquito breeding. Local authorities are responsible for addressing such nuisances in public areas.

The Ministry provided the public with guidelines, including draining standing water in containers like buckets, plant saucers, old tires, and gutters; using mosquito repellent containing DEET or other approved substances; installing window screens; wearing long, light-colored clothing, especially during peak mosquito activity hours; and using fans indoors and outdoors. Residents are urged to report mosquito problems or standing water in public spaces to their local authority via the 106 hotline.

The ministry conducts thousands of larval monitoring tests and hundreds of adult mosquito trapping operations annually from June to November, the period when West Nile virus-carrying mosquitoes are most prevalent. Several instances of infected mosquitoes have been reported nationwide this year. The ministry stressed that public reporting is crucial for enabling authorities to efficiently target their pest control efforts.