MARICOPA COUNTY, AZ  — Mosquitoes will be out in full force as the monsoon season moves closer to July. Maricopa County has now confirmed the first West Nile virus death of the season, following a record-breaking year when it came to cases.

Barbara Puls, whose brother-in-law was impacted by the West Nile virus says, “he just absolutely collapsed in the bathroom, just dead weight, was never able to move again.”

Maricopa County saw its worst year of West Nile virus in 2021, with several deaths and more than 1,400 cases. Some of the people impacted then, still haven’t fully recovered, like Barbara Puls’ brother-in law.

“Their prognosis, for walking again, is not very good because like, his feet have sort of atrophied,” says Puls.

With the first reported death for West Nile in 2022, we’re told March through October is mosquito season, intensifying during the summer months.

“With the monsoon, with the rain, with the warm temperatures… we could have the ideal environment for mosquitoes to breed,” Johnny Diloné, Maricopa County Environmental Services Department.

Maricopa County does mosquito surveillance year-round by placing hundreds of traps all over the Valley to see if the surrounding area needs to be treated.

“The criteria would be: the trap either, testing positive, when we test the entire trap. Or, the trap having 30 or more of the female mosquitoes that have the potential of carrying West Nile virus. Or, the trap having 300 plus mosquitoes, which are typically the floodwater mosquitoes,” says Diloné.