OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) - COVID isn't the only virus to watch out for in Douglas County.
Health officials found the first water source in the area to test positive for the West Nile virus this year.
The positive sample was found among mosquitoes captured at Heron Haven along West Maple Road.
Those mosquitoes were captured on July 26 but health officials got the test results late Tuesday.
"This is not unexpected,” said Douglas County Health Director Dr. Lindsay Huse. “Only time will tell how many human cases we have this year, or if we even have any.”
Mosquito-borne illnesses affect more than 100 million people per year around the globe.
Local health officials will continue to trap mosquitoes every other week until the end of September to survey their populations and gather information on the variety of species present.
The department also will use larvicide in potential breeding sites or stagnant waterways to reduce mosquito populations.
Since its arrival in Nebraska, the number of West Nile virus cases in Douglas County has ranged from a record number of 71 human cases in 2018 to a low of three cases in 2009 and 2015.
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