Another person recently tested positive for the West Nile Virus in Dallas County, bringing the total of confirmed cases to five this year.
The uptick in West Nile Virus (WNV) cases compared to last year is all the more worrying since four of the five cases have involved a more severe neuroinvasive form of the disease, according to Fox 4 KDFW.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 1% of those infected tend to present with this strain, which directly affects the brain.
Neuroinvasive WNV can usher in meningitis, characterized by headaches and fever; encephalitis, marked by fever, tremors, mental confusion, and seizures; or acute flaccid paralysis, a sudden weakness or inability to move limbs that might progress to the respiratory system.
While the recovery rate is high — only 10% of cases are fatal — it can be a prolonged process, and patients sometimes have “residual neurologic deficits,” according to the CDC.
Christian Grisales, a public information officer with Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS), shared that the authorities are on alert given the rise of neuroinvasive WNV cases.
“This is a concerning amount of cases because mosquito activity remains high in Dallas County,” Grisales told Fox 4.
Reports from Tarrant and Denton County earlier this month indicated similar trends.
The Dallas-Fort Worth area ranks as one of the most mosquito-ridden metropolitan areas of the country, as previously covered in The Dallas Express.
With this in mind, taking proper precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitos is important.
DCHHS Director Dr. Philip Huang recently told Dallas County residents to follow the “4 Ds” in a press release.
These include using DEET or other EPA-approved insect repellants when outside, dressing in long and loose clothing, draining nearby standing water, and limiting outdoor activity around dusk and dawn, as reported in The Dallas Express.
Grisales has encouraged residents to be vigilant even after being bitten.
“People should monitor their symptoms. A lot of times, we ignore mosquito bites, and we think that it’s just a mosquito. Nothing’s going to happen. But we just don’t know,” Grisales explained, according to Fox 4.
With the latest reported case of WNV, Texas has a total of six this year. This is dwarfed by the number registered in Arizona — 56, all occurring in the Phoenix Valley.