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. Resulting from privateness and confidentiality causes, HCHD is not going to disclose any details about the affected person. Whereas 80% of individuals is not going to expertise signs of an an infection, solely 20% of individuals might expertise some signs. Signs of West Nile Virus an infection can embody 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 programs could also be at an elevated threat for stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, imaginative and prescient loss, paralysis and, in extraordinarily uncommon instances, loss of life. Anybody experiencing these signs is inspired to hunt medical consideration. Presently, there is no such thing as a particular therapy for West Nile Virus, however over-the-counter medication can assist cut back signs and supportive care may be supplied in a hospital setting to these experiencing extra extreme signs. Sufferers can anticipate to exhibit signs for 3 to 6 days however might expertise fatigue and weak spot for weeks and even months. WNV is a illness that’s unfold by the chunk of an contaminated mosquito. Mosquitoes can change into contaminated once 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 similar to encephalitis and/or meningitis. Hays County Epidemiologist Ian Harris desires to remind residents that “West Nile Virus is just not contagious and that people are ‘dead-end host,’ which means people should not able to transmitting the virus to different people.” The Division of State Well being Companies (DSHS) has not confirmed a constructive mosquito pool in Hays County throughout the 2025 Mosquito Season. The county reported constructive mosquito swimming pools for WNV in Hays County throughout 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 reduce 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 cut back the variety of locations mosquitoes can lay their eggs and breed. HCHD reminds residents to recollect the three Ds: DEET, Costume and Drain. DEET: At any time when exterior, use insect repellents with the lively ingredient DEET or different EPA-registered repellents, and at all times observe label directions. DRESS: Put on lengthy, free and light-colored clothes exterior. DRAIN: Drain or deal with all standing water in and round your private home or office the place mosquitoes might lay eggs. Hays County Growth Companies is offering mosquito surveillance throughout the county to watch and monitor mosquito-borne sicknesses. Some mosquitoes can switch doubtlessly lethal ailments – generally 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 Companies in Austin for identification and willpower of the kind(s) of sickness the mosquitoes may very well be spreading. Monitoring species, mosquito density and geographic breeding websites will present important early predictive knowledge to HCDS to assist monitor, forestall and fight mosquito populations and mosquito-borne sicknesses. HCDS makes use of the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) gravid-trapping methodology 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 usually carried out from Could till November all through Texas. Hays County Growth Companies 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 data relating to mosquito abatement, contact Hays County Growth Companies at 512-393-2150. Resident can view Mosquito Monitoring Places through the Hays County Growth Companies GIS Dashboard at https://bit.ly/HaysCountyMosquitoTrackingLocations. Go to the Texas Division of State and Well being Companies West Nile web site for extra data on the illness at txwestnile.org. # # #