From Midland To Arlington; Deadly Virus Appears In Texas For 2024

Every year we have to be aware of the presence of a sometimes deadly disease that makes its way into Texas. It usually shows up in the late spring and summer months, which happens to be mosquito season in Texas. This year, we've already seen instances of mosquitos carrying West Nile virus in the Lone Star State.

West Nile Virus In Midland County Texas, 2024

Mosquitos are bad enough on their own without us having to worry about potentially contracting a virus. Unfortunately, these infuriatingly annoying pests have been known to carry the West Nile virus, which is a virus that can sometimes be fatal.

Earlier this month, authorities confirmed the first instance of West Nile virus in Texas. Mosquitos from Midland County we captured and tested, and on May 7 a new release was published stating that there were mosquitos who tested positive for the virus.

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The release urged Midland County residents to do all they can to prevent mosquito bites.

Exactly one week later, news reports began circulating about another location in Texas that has seen a positive test for West Nile virus. This instance of the virus would be found in Arlington.

West Nile Virus in Arlington, Texas, 2024

According to news reports, the first instance of West Nile virus of the year in north Texas was discovered in Arlington. As with Midland County, mosquitos were captured and tested. The test results came back positive for mosquitos that had been found in Arlington.

Once again, officials asked residents to do all they could to prevent bites and even gave a schedule of times when they would be spraying to get rid of the infected mosquito population.

How To Prevent Mosquito Bites In Texas

When it comes to West Nile virus, the good news is that some people don't even know they've had it. According to the CDC, 1 in 5 people develop symptoms like fever. Where things get scary is when they state that about 1 in 150 people will develop a serious and sometimes fatal illness.

To protect yourself from the disease-spreading blood-sucking menace, the CDC has several things you can do.

• Wear loose-fitting long-sleeve shirts and pants.
• Use insect repellent.
• Use air conditioning instead of leaving windows and doors open.
• Remove standing water. It's where mosquitos like to lay their eggs.

You can find out more by following this link to the CDC website.

Protect yourself and your family this summer. At the most, you'll keep yourself from possibly contracting West Nile virus. At the least, you won't have those itchy bumps keeping you up all night.