Get your bug spray: West Nile Virus season has begun in Tarrant County
Public health officials have confirmed the first mosquito samples to test positive for West Nile Virus in Tarrant County this year, Tarrant County Public Health said Thursday.
The samples were collected from Fort Worth and Grand Prairie during routine mosquito surveillance. So far, 314 mosquito samples have been tested at Tarrant County Public Health’s North Texas Regional Laboratory.
The positive sample marks the beginning of West Nile Virus season in Tarrant County. The virus is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito, according to Tarrant County Public Health. Most infected people show no symptoms, but about one in every five may develop fever, headache, body aches, or joint pain. For less than 1% of people infected, the virus can cause serious illness that affects the central nervous system, and may require hospitalization or cause death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Tarrant County Public Health recommends taking simple steps to reduce your exposure to mosquitoes, like using an EPA-approved insect repellant and wearing loose-fitting clothing when outdoors. The health department also encourages you to remove or treat standing water around your home with larvicides, and recommends staying indoors during the peak mosquito hours of dawn and dusk when possible.
