A person in Hays County has tested positive for West Nile virus, an illness transmitted through mosquito.
This is the first positive human case in Hays County this year.The person lives in the 78610 ZIP code.The Hays County Health Department was notified about the case Wednesday, almost a week after confirming mosquitos in the area carried the virus. According to HCHD press release, there were no positive mosquito samples found in Hays County last year.
West Nile virus past week
A Williamson County resident also tested positive for West Nile virus in the past week. Thirteen mosquito traps in that county have tested positive so far this season.Eighty percent of people who contract West Nile don’t experience symptoms. The other 20% might experience fever, headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea, a skin rash on the torso and swollen lymph nodes. Individuals 50 or older may be at risk of developing a more severe form of the disease.
HCHD reminds residents that to prevent infection, they should use EPA-registered bug repellent; wear long, loose and light-colored clothing; and drain standing water. Mosquitoes can breed in pools as small as 1 teaspoon of water.
Hays County Epidemiologist Ian Harris reiterated that the virus is not contagious and humans are “dead-end hosts,” meaning they can’t transmit the virus to each other.HAYS COUNTY, Texas — A human has tested positive for West Nile virus in Hays County, the Hays County Health Department (HCHD) confirmed on Wednesday.
It is the first human case in the county so far this year and comes after a positive human case reported in Williamson County earlier this month. The HCHD said the patient is a resident of the 78610 ZIP code, in the Buda area.The county’s health department said so far this season, two mosquito trap samples have tested positive for the virus, including one on July 19 and another on July 23 in the 78666 ZIP code. There were no positive West Nile virus mosquito pools during the 2023 season in Hays County.
Symptoms of West Nile Virus
Symptoms of West Nile Virus may include body aches, fever, headache, skin rash on the “trunk of the body” and swollen lymph nodes. Those 50 years old and older and/or with compromised immune symptoms are at a higher risk for severe symptoms, which may include disorientation, vision loss, paralysis, coma, stiffness and, in rare cases, death.
Other mosquito-borne illnesses reported in Central Texas
Travis County officials have reported two mosquito pools that have tested positive for West Nile Virus so far this year. In late May, the first positive mosquito pool was reported in the 78744 ZIP code in southeast Austin. A little more than a week later, another mosquito pool tested positive in the same ZIP code.Meanwhile, Austin Public Health has also confirmed five cases of Dengue fever, another illness spread by mosquitos, in Travis County this year.
West Nile Virus can’t be passed from human to human – infection occurs from being bitten by an infected mosquito.Mosquito safety tips To protect yourself from mosquito-borne illnesses, health officials recommend you:
Drain standing water in flowerpots, pet dishes and clogged gutters so mosquitoes don’t have a place to breed. Treat any water that can’t be drained
Use an EPA-approved insect repellent that includes DEET
Dress in long sleeves and pants when outside, especially at dawn and dusk.
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