As monsoon season ramps up, mosquito activity is rising and so is the risk of disease. Maricopa County health officials confirmed the region’s first West Nile virus-related death of the year and urged residents to stay vigilant.
“This tragic loss is a reminder that West Nile virus can be serious, especially for older adults and those with existing health conditions,” said Dr. Nick Staab, Chief Medical Officer for MCDPH. “Monsoon season brings much-needed rain, but it also creates ideal conditions for mosquitoes to breed. That’s why it’s so important for residents to stay vigilant, use insect repellent, drain standing water, and limit outdoor time during peak mosquito activity.”
A total of 17 human cases of West Nile virus have been confirmed in Maricopa County so far this year. The virus is most likely to spread from May through October, when mosquitoes are most active. Officials say community-wide prevention efforts including sanitation, monitoring, and public education are key to limiting local outbreaks.
“We clean our parks a minimum of three times a week, all the way up to seven,” said Jeremy Figueroa, parks superintendent for the city of Goodyear. “Staff are always looking for anything out of the norm, whether a bench needs attention, there’s a sidewalk issue, or standing water that could become a concern.”
With more than 255 acres of city parks under his oversight, Figueroa and his team play a hands-on role in identifying and mitigating potential mosquito breeding sites. After rainstorms, they conduct inspections and revisit problem areas the next day. If standing water is still present after 24 hours, they treat it to prevent mosquito larvae from developing.
“It’s a daily effort, especially this time of year,” Figueroa said. “We inspect water features, stormwater scuppers, splash pads, and landscaping to make sure nothing is collecting or pooling in ways it shouldn’t.”
While many people think of mosquito control as a public health issue handled behind the scenes, both Figueroa and county officials say it’s a shared responsibility that involves neighborhoods, backyards, and local parks just as much as labs and fogging trucks.
Across Maricopa County, the Vector Control Division within Environmental Services runs one of the largest mosquito surveillance programs in the Southwest. With more than 850 mosquito traps deployed each week, the team is able to monitor both historically problematic areas and locations where new complaints arise.
“It always starts to pick up about this time of year, because you have people that have flood irrigation, and they have areas in different parts of the county with more standing water, even without storms,” said John Townsend, Vector Control Division manager.
“Mosquitoes need to have standing water to go through their life cycle,” Townsend said. “If you have a good rain and lots of standing water, mosquito activity tends to pick up. If it’s not as wet, especially in the summer, you don’t get the mosquito activity that you normally do.”
The county conducts year-round surveillance and mitigation and uses its lab to test for viruses in Culex and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The former are more active at night and linked to West Nile and St. Louis encephalitis. The latter, recognizable by their daytime activity and low-to-the-ground biting, can potentially carry diseases like dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, though such viruses remain rare in Arizona.
When mosquito samples test positive for virus activity, the county uses data to schedule nighttime fogging in specific neighborhoods. Traps also help the county decide where to increase monitoring or where to inspect for hidden sources of standing water.
“Depending on where we start to see positive (test results), it kind of lets us know we’ve got pockets (of active viruses) in certain areas of the county where we’ve got mosquito activity.” Townsend said. “Whenever we get positives, then we’ll set those areas up for a treatment.”
In Goodyear, Figueroa’s team not only keeps parks clean and attractive, they also work behind the scenes to prevent public spaces from becoming mosquito-friendly environments. That includes daily inspections of splash pads, twice-daily water testing, and regular upkeep of landscaping and irrigation systems so pooling water does not attract mosquitos.
“We use a web-based irrigation program that helps us monitor for leaks and adjust watering based on weather,” Figueroa said. “If it’s rained, or if the air is cooler, it reduces run times automatically. And if something malfunctions, it alerts staff so they can shut it down before it causes water to pool.”
Even small details, like children’s toys left in shaded grass or clogged scuppers after a storm, can create opportunities for mosquitoes to breed. That’s why Goodyear crews are trained to look for subtle changes and respond quickly.
“Mosquito season is something we all talk about going into monsoon season,” Figueroa said. “And we make sure it stays on everyone’s mind.”
Maricopa County vector control states mosquito safety control can start at home. Many of the common mosquito breeding sites are found in backyards: bird baths, decorative ponds, flower pots, trash can lids, and even forgotten pet bowls.
“Most of the time when you’re getting bit, the mosquitoes are actually coming from your backyard or very close,” Townsend said.
To help reduce mosquito activity, the county promotes the “4 Rs”
Repel: Use EPA-registered insect repellent when outdoors, especially at dawn or dusk.
Remove: Eliminate any standing water.
Repair: Fix broken screens, irrigation leaks, and drainage issues.
Remind: Share prevention tips with the community.
“We never know how many people we actually help,” Townsend said. “We don’t have a meter that says, ‘Today, 50 people didn’t get sick from West Nile.’ We just know that the work we do helps protect the citizens of Maricopa County.”
While most mosquito bites are harmless and cause only mild skin irritation, they are still the primary way diseases like West Nile virus spread. According to the Center for Disease Control, not everyone infected will show symptoms, but those who do may experience fatigue, fever, or in rare cases, neurological complications.
Fortunately, serious outcomes remain uncommon. In 2024, Maricopa County recorded 21 human cases of West Nile virus. Experts say the risk is manageable, especially when surveillance and community prevention efforts work together.
Symptoms of infected bites can include warmth, redness, and swelling. Infections can happen if a bite is scratched excessively and becomes open to bacteria. The CDC advises washing bites with soap and water, applying anti-itch cream, and avoiding scratching to reduce the risk of infection.
As monsoon rains begin to arrive in July and August, both city and county staff will stay active in the field clearing drainage, testing water, and tracking mosquito population trends.
City park crews work seven days a week, from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., maintaining facilities and responding to issues quickly. Monthly park audits help ensure conditions remain safe and clean, and water systems are closely tracked for anomalies.
“Public health has to be factored into just about everything we do,” Figueroa said. “Parks are there for the general use and pleasure of our community, so that’s always at the forefront: whether it’s clean restrooms, safe playgrounds, level sports fields or mosquito free splash pads.”
Visit maricopa.gov for information on mosquito prevention, trap locations, or to report mosquito activity.
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