BAYTOWN, Texas – Positive West Nile Virus results have been found in mosquitoes tested in Baytown, the city announced Wednesday.
The positive tests were found in four samples collected by Harris County’s Public Health and Environmental Services, or HCPHES.
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The announcement comes less than two weeks after the West Nile Virus was detected in Sugar Land. The virus was found in Texas for the first time this year nearly a month ago.
No human cases of West Nile Virus have been reported in Texas this year, and the City of Baytown’s Health Department released the following guidelines to protect everyone in the area:
- Wear DEET-based insect spray.
- Eliminate standing water.
- Change water in birdbaths and pet bowls.
- Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts when outdoors.
- Avoid outdoor activity at dawn and dusk.
Humans can contract the virus from mosquito bites, and mosquitoes often contract the virus from biting infected birds. Symptoms of West Nile include neck stiffness, vision problems, memory loss, and even seizures. The virus can cause serious illness and can even be fatal in humans, and there are also no vaccines or medications to treat the virus.
People with milder forms of West Nile typically recover from the virus on their own, although symptoms can last for weeks. 80 percent of people who contract West Nile have no symptoms and recover without medical intervention.
The Texas Department of State Health Services also recommends practicing the “Four Ds” as precautionary measures:
- Use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
- Dress in long sleeves and long pants when you are outside.
- Stay indoors at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
- Drain standing water where mosquitoes breed. Common breeding sites include old tires, flowerpots and clogged rain gutters.