Texas first West Nile illness of the year has been reported to the Department of State Health Services, an adult woman from Montgomery County who developed the neurological form of the disease in late April.
Diseases like Zika and West Nile remain threats in Texas, and we need everyone to do their part to protect themselves, their families and their communities, said DSHS Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt. These are simple steps, and if people take them consistently, they will go a long way toward reducing the number of cases of either disease transmitted in Texas.
Dallas County Health officials told the Dallas County Commissioners Court Tuesday that now is the time to begin practicing mosquito prevention.
“Normally we can see the first cases in Texas in April and May,” said Dallas County Health and Human Services Director, Zachary Thompson. “But June is the normal period where we see mosquito activity.”
Thompson said mosquitoes can’t be eliminated but said it’s important to prevent them from breeding.
“We need to eliminate any standing water around our homes to prevent the mosquitoes from breeding,” Thompson said.
The health Department added an update to commissioners regarding mumps, stating that the outbreak is tapering off but that receiving immunizations remains a priority.
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