The West Nile Virus outbreak this year has been one of the worst
on record. As of September 25, there have been 3,545 cases, with
almost 40 percent of those in Texas. Recently, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention reported a deceleration in the
number of new West Nile Virus cases, which suggests the season
may be coming to an end. Most public health efforts regarding
prevention of West Nile Virus during the season involve mosquito
surveillance and advising citizens to take precautions like
staying indoors or wearing bug spray. However, a number of
factors can stymie prolonged protective behavior in the
population. Ineffective communication can lead people to
downplay the actual threat of the disease, which causes symptoms
ranging from fever to encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and
even death. Additionally, people may de-emphasize the benefits
of protecting oneself, or after the novelty of the threat has
faded, normalize and ignore the threat. It’s clear that hoping
for successful communication be