Mosquitoes test positive for West Nile Virus || Dallas officials warn Northeast Texans
Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) is reporting confirmation of the first positive West Nile Virus (WNV) mosquito trap for 2018 in Dallas County, which was collected May 29 in zip code 75062. The virus was identified by PCR testing of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
The detection of WNV in our mosquito population indicates a risk of infection to humans in our area. One adjacent county identified their first WNV positive mosquito traps for the season last month, indicating a wide distribution of WNV in our local mosquito population.
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No confirmed human cases of WNV infection have yet been reported this year in Texas or Dallas County. Reports of human cases typically begin locally in the weeks following the first identification of WNV from area Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes.
Clinicians should consider WNV disease in persons with symptoms consistent with West Nile fever (e.g. fever with headache, myalgia, arthralgia, weakness, or rash) or West Nile neuroinvasive disease (e.g. fever with aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, or acute flaccid paralysis).
Patients at higher risk of severe disease, including those over 50 years of age or with immunosuppression (e.g. organ transplantation, chemotherapy, dialysis, HIV infection), should be reminded to take particular preventive measures to avoid mosquito exposures, including wearing long sleeves and pants when outside and using EPA-registered repellants such as DEET.
Active public health surveillance for WNV in mosquitoes and humans is ongoing. Additional health advisories will be issued if vector indices are noted to be significantly increasing, and when human WNV infections begin to be reported. Please report suspected WNV cases by fax to
DCHHS at (214) 819-1933. For questions or consultation please contact DCHHS at (214) 819-2004.
Information about WNV is available at: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm.
