According to Houston Health Department Officials, there has been an eighth case of West Nile Virus reported.
With this most recent diagnosis of the virus for the city of Houston, it also marks the sixth diagnosis in the month of August. There has been one fatal case of West Nile Virus in Houston. An elderly man from southwest Houston died from the virus on August 1.
Additional reports indicate that a grand total of 23 people have died from West Nile Virus in Harris County since the virus first appeared in the United States a decade ago.
Many are infected with the virus within three to ten days of a bite from an infected mosquito.
Most often, West Nile Virus is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds. Infected mosquitoes can then potentially spread West Nile Virus to humans and other animals when they bite. The virus is not known to spread through casual contact such as touching or kissing a person with the virus.
Many southeast Texas counties have been conducting intense spraying to minimize the presence of mosquitoes during this time of year. Experts are calling the pests aggressive and relentless this summer.
During peak mosquito times at dawn and dusk, experts recommend people wear long pants and shirts with long sleeves to combat being bitten by mosquitoes. Experts also encourage using insect repellant containing ingredients such as DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon-eucalyptus to ward off the insects.
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Eighth Case Of West Nile Virus Diagnosed In Houston was originally published on news92fm.com
