By Natalie Frels
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July 30, 2025
SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Hays County Well being Division (HCHD) acquired notification on July 29, 2025, that there was a laboratory confirmed, constructive human case of West Nile Virus. That is the primary reported human case of West Nile Virus (WNV) for the 2025 Mosquito Season in Hays County. Because of privateness and confidentiality causes, HCHD won’t disclose any details about the affected person. Whereas 80% of individuals won’t expertise signs of an an infection, solely 20% of individuals could expertise some signs. Signs of West Nile Virus an infection can embrace fever, headache, physique aches, joint ache, vomiting, diarrhea, a pores and skin rash on the torso of the physique and swollen lymph nodes. Whereas the chance for extreme signs is low, people aged 50 and older and people with compromised immune methods could also be at an elevated threat for stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, imaginative and prescient loss, paralysis and, in extraordinarily uncommon instances, dying. Anybody experiencing these signs is inspired to hunt medical consideration. At present, there isn’t any particular remedy for West Nile Virus, however over-the-counter drugs may help scale back signs and supportive care could be offered in a hospital setting to these experiencing extra extreme signs. Sufferers can count on to exhibit signs for 3 to 6 days however could expertise fatigue and weak point for weeks and even months. WNV is a illness that’s unfold by the chew of an contaminated mosquito. Mosquitoes can develop into contaminated after they feed on the blood of contaminated birds. The contaminated mosquitoes can then transmit WNV to people and animals. Extreme WNV infections could cause neurological issues reminiscent of encephalitis and/or meningitis. Hays County Epidemiologist Ian Harris needs to remind residents that “West Nile Virus isn’t contagious and that people are ‘dead-end host,’ that means people usually are not able to transmitting the virus to different people.” The Division of State Well being Providers (DSHS) has not confirmed a constructive mosquito pool in Hays County in the course of the 2025 Mosquito Season. The county reported constructive mosquito swimming pools for WNV in Hays County in the course of the 2024 Mosquito Season. Within the state of Texas, DSHS reported 3,314 constructive mosquito swimming pools in 2024 for West Nile Virus. As of July 29, 2025, DSHS has reported 272 constructive mosquito swimming pools for West Nile Virus. The important thing to stopping West Nile Virus is to attenuate the variety of mosquitoes in areas the place individuals stay, work and play. Public well being officers strongly encourage everybody to stay vigilant about defending themselves from mosquito bites and stopping mosquito breeding on their properties. Mosquitoes can breed in as little as one teaspoon of standing water. By draining all sources of standing water in and round your property, you scale back the variety of locations mosquitoes can lay their eggs and breed. HCHD reminds residents to recollect the three Ds: DEET, Gown and Drain. DEET: Each time exterior, use insect repellents with the energetic ingredient DEET or different EPA-registered repellents, and all the time comply with label directions. DRESS: Put on lengthy, unfastened and light-colored clothes exterior. DRAIN: Drain or deal with all standing water in and round your house or office the place mosquitoes might lay eggs. Hays County Growth Providers is offering mosquito surveillance inside the county to watch and observe mosquito-borne sicknesses. Some mosquitoes can switch probably lethal ailments – often known as arboviral ailments – to people. HCDS is gathering mosquitoes to find out which areas are harboring disease-carrying mosquitoes. HCDS will arrange assortment traps throughout the county on a rotating foundation to seize samples of a number of species of mosquitoes that might be despatched to the Division of State Well being Providers in Austin for identification and willpower of the sort(s) of sickness the mosquitoes might be spreading. Monitoring species, mosquito density and geographic breeding websites will present essential early predictive information to HCDS to assist monitor, stop and fight mosquito populations and mosquito-borne sicknesses. HCDS makes use of the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) gravid-trapping technique to gather mosquitoes. This lure is designed to draw feminine mosquitoes that are prepared to put eggs. The lure makes use of a fan to attract in mosquitoes that method the liquid within the backside of the bucket and retains them in a set bag till the lure is collected. HCDS additionally makes use of the BG-Sentinel lure. This lure targets different mosquito species which might be vectors of different arboviruses. Assortment is often carried out from Might till November all through Texas. Hays County Growth Providers and the Hays County Well being Division will proceed to conduct mosquito pool traps and well being surveillance to advertise the well being and security of our residents. For extra info concerning mosquito abatement, contact Hays County Growth Providers at 512-393-2150. Resident can view Mosquito Monitoring Places through the Hays County Growth Providers GIS Dashboard at https://bit.ly/HaysCountyMosquitoTrackingLocations. Go to the Texas Division of State and Well being Providers West Nile web site for extra info on the illness at txwestnile.org. # # #