Mosquito Safety

Some mosquitoes carry West Nile Virus (WNV). Mosquitoes only need two tablespoons of water to breed, and water can collect just about anywhere. Each year, the City of Denton implements its Mosquito Surveillance and Response Plan. The main goal of mosquito control is to decrease the number of adult mosquitoes by eliminating breeding grounds wherever possible. Partner with the City to prevent WNV and protect yourself from mosquitoes.

The City is currently at Risk Level 3.

Risk Level 2 - Enhanced Response

• Condition: Probability of human outbreak is low.
• Trigger: Normal mosquito activity with little or no evidence of arthropod-borne virus/disease. Enhanced response level is due to recent historical presence of arthropod-borne virus/disease in vectors, humans, or other hosts within the vicinity of Denton (approximately 100 miles).

Risk Level 3 - Public Health Concern

• Condition: Probability of human outbreak is low to moderate.
• Trigger: Arthropod-borne virus/disease isolated from mosquitoes collected during trapping activities at a single monitoring site.

At Risk Level 3, the City will continue to conduct routine surveys of adult mosquitoes, which will be identified to species level and screened for the presence of viruses. The amount of biological agents (Bti) applied to kill mosquito larva will be increased over previous Risk Level amounts. The City will also increase public education emphasizing source reduction, personal protection, and disease symptoms.

Risk Level 4 - Public Health Warning

• Condition: Probability of human outbreak is moderate to high.
• Trigger: Multiple mosquito pools collected at different times and locations test positive for arthropod-borne virus/ diseases. Single human case confirmed with laboratory testing.

Risk Level 5 - Public Health Alert

• Condition: Human outbreak is confirmed.
• Trigger: Multiple human cases.