Texas Border Business
EDINBURG – Three cases of West Nile Virus have been confirmed in Hidalgo County, Health and Human Services Director Eduardo Olivarez said Monday. Two of the cases emanate from Mercedes; one of the cases is from Weslaco.
The virus is the leading mosquito-borne disease in the United States, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention. People typically get the disease after being bitten by infected mosquitoes.
And while there are no vaccines to prevent the disease or medicines to treat it, most people who get infected never even show symptoms of the disease, according to the CDC. Only one in five people ever develop symptoms such as a fever.
One in 150 people may develop more serious symptoms and the disease can occasionally be fatal, the CDC said.
Olivarez said there are several preventive measures that Hidalgo County residents can take to guard against contracting West Nile Virus. This includes:
· Apply repellent when going outdoors.
· Wear long sleeve shirts and pants when going outdoors
· Take steps to control mosquitoes outdoors and indoors, including getting rid of any standing water by frequently checking objects in the yard that can collect water including tires, buckets, planters and toys.
In addition, county health officials will begin vector control in the affected areas and they are investigating whether any of these cases are travel-related. Here is a link to the CDC website regarding West Nile Virus.
