Preventing mosquito bites will prevent West Nile Virus infection. Personal protective measures such as limiting the time spent outdoors at dawn and dusk or other times mosquitoes are active; wearing long sleeve shirts and long pants when outdoors; using insect repellents (containing DEET) when outdoors; and putting screens on windows and doors to prevent mosquito entry which can serve to reduce or prevent mosquito bites.
Reducing mosquito populations will also reduce mosquito bites. In some communities, public funded surveillance and control programs reduce mosquito populations by eliminating mosquito breeding habitat, mosquito larvae, or adults. You can also take measures in your own yard or on your property to eliminate standing water where mosquitoes breed. Sources of standing water include old tires, metal cans, ceramic pots, clogged rain gutters, wading pools, pool covers, or birdbaths.