Malaga town ramps up measures to prevent spread of mosquito-borne West Nile virus

Alhaurín de la Torre town hall in Malaga province is ramping up preventative measures following the detection of the Nile virus in samples of mosquitoes around the Guadalhorce river, specifically in Campanillas.

The council is now implementing a plan to intensify measures against the proliferation of mosquitoes. The town hall pointed out that according to the data obtained with its surveillance systems and controls carried out, the classification of the risk area is a level four, as the trap where the samples were collected was located within a 1.5-kilometre-radius.

New fumigation works have now been announced in the area around the Guadalhorce river, in addition to preventive cleaning of irrigation channels in the area.

The council offered advice on how residents can prevent the spread of mosquitoes such as avoiding leaving out containers that accumulate stagnant water (where the female mosquito lays her eggs and the larvae breed), maintaining adequate levels of chlorine in swimming pools and ponds, protecting wells and water deposits with mosquito nets, monitoring water leaks, renewing water in animal drinking troughs daily, and pouring water down drains at least once a week.