Animal-Borne Disease (Vector Control)
bat, raccoons, mosquito

Animal-Borne Disease Control Program

The Boulder County Public Health Vector Control Program aims to prevent the spread of disease from vectors (animals) to humans.

Weekly Animal-Borne Disease Reporting

Zoonotic Disease Reporting for 2022

September 18-24, 2022 (Week 38)

  • One raccoon was submitted for rabies testing. The specimen tested negative. Through Week 38, 109 samples were submitted with 13 (11.9%) testing positive. Compared with the same period in 2021, 95 samples were submitted with 16 (16.8%) testing positive.
  • No specimens were submitted for plague, tularemia or hantavirus for Week 38. No samples were submitted for hantavirus testing in 2022. Five specimens were tested for each plague and tularemia thus far in 2022 with all samples testing negative. No samples have been submitted since May 17th (Week 20).
  • Mosquito trapping and West Nile surveillance has concluded for the season. Overall, nuisance and Culex (WNV vectors) mosquito species were above long-term averages, however, fell closer to five-year averages indicating an overall increase in mosquito abundance over the past several years. Programmatic changes in trapping throughout the county may account for some increase.
  • Sixty-one mosquito pools tested positive (42.4% positive) in 2022 compared with forty-five (31.3% positive) in 2021.
  • CDPHE reports 135 human WNV cases: Adams (16), Arapahoe (2), Boulder (28), Broomfield (5), Delta (14), Denver (4), Eagle (1), Elbert (1), Freemont (1), Jefferson (2), Larimer (14), Mesa (2), Montrose (28), Weld (15).
  • Boulder County recorded 19 WNV cases in 2021 compared with 28 reported as this time. Additional WNV cases are expected as case investigations continue.

Animals Tested for Disease in 2021

SpeciesRabiesPlagueTularemiaHantavirus
Bat64000
Skunk8000
Raccon20000
Coyote1000
Fox0000
Cat8000
Dog4330
Squirrel1110
Prairie Dog0000
Rabbit0000
Flea0000
Other3110
Totals109550

Animals Positive for Disease in 2021

SpeciesRabiesPlagueTularemiaHantavirus
Bat7000
Skunk6000
Raccon0000
Coyote0000
Fox0000
Cat0000
Dog0000
Squirrel0000
Prairie Dog0000
Rabbit0000
Flea0000
Other13000

Zoonotic Disease Reporting for Previous Years

Contact Us


Vector Control Program

Main: 303-441-1564
Submit a question


Location

Boulder
3450 Broadway
Map & Directions
Hours: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. M-F

Public Health logo