Two Lovelock mosquito pools are the first samples in the state to test positive for West Nile virus this summer, according to the Nevada Department of Agriculture's Animal Disease and Food Safety Laboratory.
So far, 931 samples from 16 counties have been submitted to the laboratory at the Nevada Department of Agriculture's Reno Office since February of this year. Of those, 912 mosquito pools, 16 bird and three horse samples have all been negative.
Monday's detection came later than previous years in Nevada. Positive samples in the past have shown up towards the end of May, middle of June. The State of California, as of July 18, has tested 774 positive West Nile virus samples this year, including six human cases and three squirrels.
"Nevada has West Nile Virus," said Ed Foster, spokesperson for Nevada Department of Agriculture. "Historically July is when we start seeing the positive samples ramp up," he added.
