West Nile Detected Early in North Texas Suburb - East Idaho News
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West Nile Detected Early in North Texas Suburb

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Getty 081712 Mosquito?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1365820603235iStockphoto/Thinkstock(DALLAS) — West Nile Virus is back in North Texas, and it’s making its earliest appearance ever. Officials say mosquitoes trapped in the Dallas suburb of Richardson have tested positive for the disease.  

West Nile can become a very serious illness, and normally flares up in the summer and continues into the fall, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  “About one in 150 people infected with WNV will develop severe illness,” the CDC website states.

A record 940 human cases of West Nile were reported in North Texas last year.  A Dallas health official says the early detection this year means it’s just a matter of time before human cases of West Nile are reported.

“Right now, the fact that you’re finding positive mosquito pools this early is an indicator that West Nile Virus in human cases — it’s just around the corner,” says Zachary Thompson, the director for Dallas County Health and Human Services.

But, according to the CDC, approximately 80 percent of infected people won’t even know they have it because they won’t show any symptoms at all.  

The agency says the best way to avoid the virus and it’s symptoms is to prevent mosquito bites. In addition to applying insect repellant when outdoors and getting rid of standing water where mosquitos breed, the CDC says that community-based mosquito control is also helpful in reducing risk for West Nile infection.

Richardson residents like Kelly Thomas are happy to hear ground spraying will begin in that community on Sunday.

“I was pleased to hear they were going ahead and being proactive about the West Nile Virus, so that we wouldn’t be having so much fear,” said Thomas.
 
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

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