Mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus were discovered in Ramat Gan and Yeruham during routine monitoring, Israel’s Environmental Protection Ministry said on Sunday.
The ministry said it instructed all local authorities to expand prevention, monitoring, public outreach and pest control.
Infected mosquitoes are expected to become more common every year from early June through the end of November, according to the statement. Several tests since the start of the year have turned up infected mosquitoes, it added.
The ministry asked the public to drain standing water, use repellent and install window screens. It also asked people to report mosquito hazards to their municipality.
Dr. Shai Reicher, head of the ministry’s Pests and Pest Control Department, said this autumn has had “relatively warm and dry weather, which allows suitable living conditions for the development of mosquitoes.”
“We must persist in efforts to prevent and protect against bites by mosquitoes, which may transmit pathogens to humans,” he said.
