Will Flooding in Texas Lead to More Mosquito-Borne Illness?
Long-term damage from Hurricane Harvey could create more breeding grounds for the insects.
The devastating floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey will damage many human habitats, but after the flood recedes, the waterlogged city may become a more welcoming habitat for mosquitoes. And that means that residents already made vulnerable by the hurricane might also eventually be at increased risk for mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile virus and Zika.
West Nile virus . In 2016, the state had 370 cases; so far in 2017, there have been . Harris County, where Houston is located, of West the virus in local mosquitoes.
