New Mexico lawmakers are moving forward with legislation that would create a statewide mosquito surveillance and prevention program designed to detect mosquito-borne diseases earlier and better protect public health.

Senate Bill 79 would allocate $2 million to the New Mexico Department of Health for mosquito monitoring, prevention, and mitigation during fiscal years 2027 and 2028. Health officials say testing mosquitoes for viruses can function as an “early warning system,” since pathogens often appear in mosquito populations before human cases increase.

In 2025, New Mexico recorded 51 human cases of West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne disease that can cause severe and sometimes fatal illness. Currently, some local jurisdictions operate their own mosquito surveillance programs, but there is no uniform system across the state.

If approved, the funding would support trapping and identifying mosquito species, testing mosquitoes for viruses, monitoring insecticide resistance, and tracking invasive mosquito species that have been expanding into New Mexico. Up to $1.5 million of the funding could be distributed as grants to local governments and state universities for mosquito surveillance and control projects.

Public health officials say the data collected would allow communities to better target mosquito control efforts by location and season, improve risk communication, and help residents understand how to reduce breeding sites around their homes.

Supporters of the bill emphasize that proactive surveillance can prevent future outbreaks and reduce the long-term health and economic impacts of mosquito-borne diseases. The measure has advanced to the Senate Finance Committee for further consideration.

🦟 What Residents Can Do Now

• Eliminate standing water around your home (buckets, planters, gutters, pet bowls).
• Use an EPA-registered insect repellent.
• Wear long sleeves and pants when possible.
• Keep doors and windows properly screened.
• Report unusual mosquito activity to your local vector control agency.