BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas — Due to severe weather creating large areas of water for mosquitoes to breed, there are 20 positive West Nile pools in the state of Texas.
Here in Brazos County, officials are carefully monitoring our local pools to ensure residents are aware and informed.
“In the past 10 years almost, every year except three, we’ve tested positive mosquitoes here in Brazos County,” said Brazos County Health District's Environmental Specialist, Kurt Johnson.
Along with weather, people also play a big part in creating these areas where mosquitoes can breed.
Johnson continued, “We breed our own mosquitoes so if you’re getting bit chances are you grew them.”
Preventing possibly dangerous mosquito bites can be simple.
“Definitely make sure that you’re dumping any water anything that’s containing water buckets tires are a big one you don’t want any standing water as much as you can,” explained Environmental Specialist, Shelly Fridrich.
While only one in 150 people infected will develop the more severe form of the disease that affects the brain and spinal cord, the health department wants everyone to be vigilant of symptoms.
Johnson described, “80% of people are never going to show symptoms and there’s two illnesses that are associated with West Nile one where you get a fever and flu-like symptoms but there’s also a neurological disease that’s the inflammation of the nervous system which can lead to motor skill interruption and long-term neurological symptoms.”
Here is a list of mild Symptoms of West Nile Virus, according to the CDC:
- headache
- fever
- body aches
- joint pains
- nausea
- fatigue
There are also other signs and symptoms of severe West Nile Virus:
- headache
- high fever
- neck stiffness
- stupor
- disorientation
- coma
- tremors
- convulsions
- muscle weakness
- paralysis