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mosquito on human skin at sunset
Harris County’s health department has launched a new online dashboard to track human cases of mosquito-borne illnesses.
According to Harris County Public Health (HCPH), which announced the online tool late last week, the dashboard is designed to keep residents informed about confirmed human cases of mosquito-borne diseases throughout Harris County. The dashboard includes updated numbers for West Nile virus, dengue, Zika, St. Louis encephalitis, chikungunya and malaria cases confirmed in the county, outside the city of Houston. The webpage also specifies whether or not the cases are travel-related.
“While our current case numbers are low, it’s still important for everyone to protect themselves from mosquito bites — especially during the warmer months when mosquitoes are most active,” Jennifer Kiger, Harris County Public Health’s director of the office of epidemiology, surveillance and emerging diseases, said in a statement.
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So far this year, Harris County Public Health has reported six likely West Nile virus cases. The West Nile virus is a potentially deadly disease that is commonly spread via bites from infected mosquitoes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Currently, there is no vaccine available to prevent West Nile virus.
The county health department has also reported six travel-related cases of dengue and six travel-related cases of malaria so far this year. According to HCPH, the data does not include cases from the city of Houston as that is not within the county’s jurisdiction.
The new dashboard is separate from HCPH’s Mosquito and Vector Division webpage, which collects data related to diseases detected among local mosquitoes. The new dashboard is for human cases only.