First human case of West Nile virus this year confirmed in Tarrant County neighborhood
The first human case of West Nile virus in Tarrant County this year has been confirmed by officials with the Tarrant County Public Health department.
That announcement comes almost four months after the first positive mosquito pool was reported on April 21.
Tarrant County officials said in a news release that the resident with the West Nile virus lives in Fort Worth and contracted the more serious neuroinvasive disease. The resident is over 65 and has been discharged from a local hospital to continue to recover.
Officials said additional details are not being released to protect the identity of the patient.
Last year, TCPH officials reported 43 human cases of the West Nile disease — including six deaths. The data for the cases is provisional and the final data is expected to be confirmed by the Texas Department of State Health Services in the last quarter of this year.
The mild form of the disease is commonly referred to as West Nile fever. Symptoms include headache, fever, muscle and joint aches, nausea and fatigue. Typically, residents recover on their own, although symptoms may last for several weeks, officials said in the release.
The more severe form is often referred to as West Nile neuroinvasive disease. Symptoms can include neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis. This form of the disease can be deadly.
TCPH officials said residents should take personal protective measures to safeguard against the West Nile virus, and those include routinely dumping standing water on their property, using EPA-approved insect repellent, and dressing in long sleeves and pants.
