A second mosquito trap sample collected in the Brushy Creek Municipal Utility District, located in Williamson County, Texas, has tested positive for West Nile virus.
The Texas Department of State Health Services lab in Austin said on July 18 that lab results of a sample collected from a trap site near Cat Hollow Park at Liberty Walk Drive and O'Connor Drive on July 13 indicated a positive test, FOX 7 Austin reported.
The positive trap site is less than two miles from another West Nile virus-positive sample collected from a trap site near the Beck Preserve on Great Oaks Drive on July 7.
This testing is part of Williamson County and Cities Health District’s (WCCHD) Integrated Vector Management program. Signage has been posted as expanded trapping and larvicide water treatment in the area will continue, per the report.
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According to WCCHD, the sample is the sixth reported positive trap of 2023 in the county, and the third week of July is the fifth week in a row of positive traps.
Health officials advise that the best way to prevent the spread of West Nile virus is to reduce the number of mosquitoes in areas where people live, work or otherwise travel. They also strongly encourage everyone to eliminate mosquitos on their personal property.
Homeowners are urged to drain all sources of standing water in and around their property, as mosquitoes breed in standing water, needing as little as one teaspoon. Reducing sources of standing water subsequently reduces the number of places mosquitoes can lay their eggs and breed, FOX 7 reported.
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Symptoms of West Nile virus infection can include fever, headache and body aches, a skin rash on the trunk of the body, and swollen lymph nodes. More severe symptoms, including for those age 50 and older and/or with compromised immune systems, include stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, vision loss, paralysis and, in rare cases, death.
The Texas Health District recommends the three Ds of mosquito safety in its "Fight the Bite" campaign: Drain standing water, Defend by using an EPA-registered insect repellent, and Dress in long sleeves and pants when outdoors.
The state of Texas has also confirmed cases of malaria within the past two months, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Monday.
The agency suggested an increase in international travel throughout summer could have led to an uptick in cases.
Fox News' Melissa Rudy contributed to this report.
