In bad summer for West Nile virus in North Texas, Denton County confirms 2 human cases
Denton County officials reported two cases of the West Nile virus over the past week, as counties across North Texas have been on heightened lookout for the mosquito-borne illness in the summer of 2020.
Both of the residents who tested positive for the virus live in Denton, according to two separate news releases. With the pair of positive cases, county officials issued a public health alert Wednesday raising the mosquito risk level to 5, the most severe warning about West Nile.
An interactive map on the county’s West Nile virus webpage shows where mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus, indicated by a drawing of a red mosquito. On the map, clusters of red mosquitoes surround Denton, one of the county’s largest cities located squarely in the middle of the jurisdiction.
In Tarrant County, there have been at least nine human cases of the virus, according to Public Health Director Vinny Taneja. He said during a Commissioners Court meeting a little over a week ago that in some cases the virus has caused a neuroinvasive disease, which can have long-term effects on a person’s neurological system.
Around 35 percent of the mosquito pools tested for the virus have come back positive, Taneja said during the meeting. In northeast Tarrant County, that number is around 50 percent, he said.
Denton County officials are urging residents to take steps to avoid attracting mosquitoes this summer, from getting rid of any standing water outside, to wearing long sleeves and pants outdoors if possible, to spraying exposed skin with EPA-approved insect repellent.
Juan Rodriguez, the public health assistant director and chief epidemiologist, said in a news release that if people take these steps they will lower their chance of contracting the West Nile virus.
“With both mosquitoes and humans testing positive for West Nile Virus in Denton County, we ask community members to remain vigilant in mosquito source reduction and the utilization of repellents,” Rodriguez said in the release. “These simple actions are easy ways to protect yourself and others from mosquito-borne illnesses.”
This story was originally published August 27, 2020 at 8:16 AM.
