An announcement could come later this week about when the City of University Park and the Town of Highland Park will begin aerial spraying for mosquitoes in an effort to stop the spread of West Nile.

On Friday, the two cities held a joint press conference outside of University Park City Hall, where it was announced that both University Park and Highland Park have decided to use aerial spraying to fight the virus, which has already claimed the lives of 13 Dallas County residents.

Steve Mace, the community information officer for University Park, said once a decision is made about when aerial spraying will begin, the City will work to make sure that residents are informed, possibly through the use of the CodeRed system, which sends prerecorded notifications by telephone to residents who are signed up for the service.

“If an announcement comes later this week, we will also post a great deal of information on (the City of University Park) website,” Mace said.

Information about University Park’s current West Nile prevention efforts are available on www.uptexas.org.

As for now, both Highland Park and University Park will be participating in three consecutive nights of ground fogging for mosquitoes, beginning Monday. The spraying will happen each night from Aug. 13-15.

The spraying will begin at about 10 p.m. every night, said Lance Koppa, the public information officer for Highland Park.

“All of Highland Park will be sprayed, including one block west of the tollway,” Koppa said.

Residents are encouraged to remain inside when spraying is taking place, according a news release from the Town of Highland Park. Pets should remain indoors as well.