Tarrant County confirms first West Nile Virus sample of 2021 in this southern town
Tarrant County’s first West Nile Virus case of 2021 has been confirmed in Crowley.
The positive sample was found among the first 147 mosquito samples tested since the season surveillance began on April 5. No human cases have been reported. The WNV season typically runs from April through mid-November. A year ago, the first positive mosquito sample was reported on April 23.
West Nile Virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the U.S., according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The virus can infect humans, birds, mosquitoes, horses, and some other animals.
There is no evidence that West Nile Virus spreads from animal to person or from person to person except in rare cases through blood product transfusion, tissue transplantation, or mother to baby, according to DSHS.
Tarrant County Public Health urges residents to take measures to protect against the WNV, including dumping standing water on their property, using insect repellent and dressing in long pants and long sleeves, if possible.
