Mosquitoes at the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City have tested positive for West Nile virus, corrections officials announced late last week.
Prison officials have responded by encouraging inmates and staff to take preventive measures, such as applying bug repellent and wearing pants, long-sleeved shirts
and closed-toed shoes to avoid mosquito bites, according to a Friday news release from the Department of Corrections. Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District executive director Ary Faraji said in the release that the infected mosquitoes don’t pose an “immediate threat” but added, “given the prison’s close proximity to the mosquito habitat and potentially infected mosquitoes, we want to ensure that everyone continues to be vigilant.”
As of Monday, corrections staff hadn’t publicly announced any West Nile cases in people at the prison. A spokesperson did not immediately return a Salt Lake Tribune request Monday about whether anyone had tested positive.Staff will monitor inmates and others for signs of the virus, Dr. Michelle Hofmann, executive medical director for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees medical services at the prison, said in the release.
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