Medical entomologist Joon Lee from the University of North Texas Health Science Center said that although floods will wash away the places of mass reproduction of the insects, they can quickly restore their population due to the abundance of stagnant water.
The AP quoted Lee as saying that "mosquito populations will likely explode within the next two weeks and will stay for at least a month or two."
"That could mean increased transmission of potentially life-threatening, mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis," Lee said.
Earlier this week, the US' Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a statement on "disturbing reports" about people posing as Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents and "knocking on doors in the Houston area telling residents to evacuate, presumably so these imposters can rob the empty homes."
Harvey devastation ups pressure on Congress to extend, fix flood insurance program https://t.co/9svdGrK1Op via @MikeEmanuelFox pic.twitter.com/OiV4bdGDaw
— Fox News (@FoxNews) 31 августа 2017 г.
ICE recalled in this regard that all those officers who represent the HSI should wear "special agent" badges which "members of the public can ask to see and verify."
*Hurricane Harvey creates one of the worst floods in Texas history*
— Daily Luxury (@AIlLuxury) 31 августа 2017 г.
Texans: pic.twitter.com/cYD9p6f7MW
Last Friday, Hurricane Harvey hit Texas as a category four storm, affecting mainly the southeastern part of the state, including the city of Houston, in addition to the southwestern part of the state of Louisiana.
At least 47 people died and tens of thousands more were evacuated as a result of the hurricane, according to the latest media reports.
What every consumer needs to know about flood insurance in the wake of Hurricane #Harvey. https://t.co/n98s4PgwYs pic.twitter.com/6c9tDu313I
— ABC News (@ABC) 31 августа 2017 г.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Governor John Bel Edwards said that the US state of Louisiana escaped the full force of Hurricane Harvey, but people need to brace for a second powerful storm that is less than two weeks away.
Harvey, now a tropical depression, is expected to completely exit Louisiana within hours after causing limited damage compared with the devastation in the neighboring state of Texas, Edwards explained.
Before and after satellite images show devastating impact of Harvey floods: https://t.co/rYczaK2KdO pic.twitter.com/DUCruA8u66
— CBS News (@CBSNews) 31 августа 2017 г.
Harvey is the largest storm to have hit the United States since the catastrophic Hurricane Katrina slammed into southern Louisiana and neighboring Mississippi in 2005, inundating New Orleans.
