Nonanal

Dallas County, TX, the county hit hardest with WNV incidence in the 2012 outbreak, witnessed the greatest increase in WNV infections of any urban area in the United States during the virus’s 2012 resurgence (7). The incidence rate of WNV in Dallas County in 2012 was 7.30 per 100,00 residents– a total of 398 cases reported (7, 10). In this paper, my study area and year are Dallas County, Texas in 2012. Dallas County, Texas had 167 positive mosquito pools, no avian positive cases, 3 equine cases (3). Mosquito Species of Interest Amongst the mosquito species infected with WNV in Dallas County, the C. quinquefasciatus (southern horse mosquito) was the most prevalent (7, 32). The southern horse mosquito is prevalent in Southern United States as a night-time blood feeder (18). The southern horse mosquito’s main preys are House Finches and House Sparrows (30). The species is an urban dweller and is attracted to “highly rich organic water in urban environments” such as “sewage systems, storm drains, catch basins, treatment plants, pit latrines,” as well as “artificial containers, neglected swimming pools and ponds” (5, 47). Environmental Determinants: The risk and susceptibility of WNV infection are hypothesized to have both environmental and demographic determinants, although the “exact factors that contributed to this epidemic are unknown” (11, 32). Some environmental factors include, but are not limited to the amount of precipitation and average temperature per month. It is…