You may be more at risk for two major diseases in Arizona

A warning for residents in Arizona. Health officials are dealing with an increase in two major diseases, West Nile virus and Valley fever.

According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, when it comes to West Nile virus the numbers speak for themselves.

“We’ve had 110 cases of West Nile virus reported in Arizona so far this year, in all of 2018 we only had 27 cases reported so it’s a big increase in West Nile cases,” said Jessica Rigler from the Department of Health Services.

Aside from West Nile, Rigler mentioned they are also seeing an increase in Valley Fever cases. So far they have had 6,000 reported this year. That is about 1,000 case increase from the same time last year.

Here are some tips to protect yourself and your loved ones:

Take precaution and avoid valley fever Stay inside Do not breathe in dust Stay away from construction zones Be aware of your surroundings “Mosquitos can lay eggs and breed in as much of like a bottle cap full of water. So anytime it rains and you’re watering your yard you want to make sure you’re dumping out any standing water that’s out there, wiping out the inside of pots to get rid of eggs. And if you are spending time outside consider using bug spray or wearing long sleeves and long pants so you protect yourself from bites,” said Rigler.

If you think you may have symptoms of either disease, see a doctor immediately.