It's the dirty and "stinky” water full of bacteria that Brownsville health officials said mosquitoes are attracted to most, and it’s mosquitoes that breed there, that are the biggest threat to humans.
Brownsville Health Director Art Rodriguez confirmed crews trapped a second mosquito that tested positive for West Nile Virus.
The first infected mosquito was caught on Calle Galaxia off Highway 281 - this time the second mosquito was caught near Impala Street in the Southmost area.
Rodriguez said there have been no human cases reported in Brownsville, but that could change as more mosquitoes in the city are found to be carrying the potential deadly virus. He said the solution to this problem is quite simple - eliminate their breeding grounds.
"The mosquito is the key here, it is the vector,” Rodriguez said. “It is part of that chain that takes the disease from the bird and then bites the human and passes it on to the human - without the mosquito you break that chain."
The two infected mosquitoes were trapped in different parts of the city, but what the areas have in common is that they are both the yards from the Rio Grande river and lush brush.
Rodriguez said mosquito populations usually fluctuate through seasons, but the heat has changed things this year.
"Normally you see a peak of mosquito counts, depending on rainfalls,” Rodriguez said. “(However), this summer has been consistent. Although we've had low numbers of mosquito counts all summer, it's been consistent and we think it's been because we had a warmer summer and milder winter."
The positive mosquito readings have helped city crews focus their efforts on the areas of heightened threat, where spraying will continue.
Rodriguez doesn’t want to cause panic amongst residents, but is urging people not to ignore the threat.
"It's an endemic now in Texas (and) I wouldn't be surprised if we saw more positives as time goes, especially before we have a big major cold front," Rodriguez said.
City officials add that people should try to keep their yards clean and dispose of tires properly year-round.
He said mosquitoes carry diseases that are life-threatening to humans like West Nile Virus and Dengue and also cause heartworm in dogs.
They recommend people dispose their tires at the city landfill located at the intersection of Ruben Torres Boulevard and FM 511.
Two horses also tested postive for West Nile in Hidalgo County according to the Texas Health Department.
One horse had to be put down.
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