West Nile claims first victim in Tarrant County in 2015

An elderly person who lived in Northeast Tarrant County has died of a West Nile virus infection, the county’s first death from the mosquito-borne disease this year, public health officials announced Friday.

The person had underlying medical conditions, according to a news release from Tarrant County Public Health.

“This individual was the county’s second human case of West Nile virus,” said Vinny Taneja, public health director. The first case was reported July 31.

Public health officials declined to provide any other information about the people infected, including locations where they might have been bitten by mosquitoes, citing federal patient privacy laws.

Human cases of West Nile infection have dropped dramatically since 2012, when Texas led the nation in cases with 1,868 and 89 deaths. Tarrant County had 280 cases and 11 deaths.

In 2014, state health officials reported 16 human cases of West Nile but no deaths. In 2013, Tarrant County officials reported the first human case May 26. The year ended with nine human cases and two deaths.

Symptoms of West Nile virus infection include flu-like illness, with moderate to high fever (102 degrees or more), severe headache, severe muscle ache or joint pain, severe eye pain, mental changes, fatigue, nausea and respiratory symptoms, the release said. People with symptoms should see their physician.

People can take precautions to avoid mosquitoes by routinely dumping out standing water in their yards, using repellent and, whenever possible, dressing in long pants and long sleeves all day, the release said.

“While everyone is at risk of being affected by West Nile virus, people age 50 and older are at a higher risk of developing a severe infection,” Taneja said.

This story was originally published August 7, 2015 at 4:56 PM with the headline "West Nile claims first victim in Tarrant County in 2015."