The 2012 Dallas West Nile virus Outbreak: Facing the Challenge of Mosquito Control Education in Large Metropolitan Areas

In the summer of 2012 the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area experienced a record 1027 reported cases of West Nile fever, 852 cases of West Nile neuroinvasive disease and 90 fatalities.  Despite unprecedented media coverage of the outbreak and spray program, there remains low public understanding of how to search for mosquito breeding sites in their own backyards, the effectiveness of various treatments and tools for self-protection. This presentation will discuss municipal and Extension public education efforts in north Texas and offer suggestions on how education efforts might be improved.