Dallas County is reporting its first human case of the West Nile virus for the season. The patient, a Dallas resident in their early 50s, was diagnosed with the neuroinvasive form of the disease, which is the more severe.
Precautions and Symptoms
Health officials encourage people to take precautions to prevent infection, including using insect repellent, wearing loose-fitting long sleeves and pants outdoors, limiting time outdoors around dawn and dusk, and dumping standing water on their property. The neuroinvasive form of West Nile Virus typically has symptoms that include fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, or paralysis. It can be life-threatening.
According to Dr. Philip Huang, Director of Dallas County Health and Human Services, “Our first human case is an important reminder that West Nile virus is still active here in Dallas County. Take a few minutes to protect yourself from mosquito bites, especially when spending time outdoors.”
Original reporting: Dallas – Ft. Worth Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
