Health officials in Dallas County have reported the county's 30th and 31st human cases of West Nile virus for the 2016 season on Thursday.
One person lives in the 75019 ZIP code in Coppell and was diagnosed with West Nile fever, and the other lives in the 75229 ZIP code in Dallas and has the more serious neuroinvasive form of the disease, Dallas County Health and Human Services said in a news release.
Other identifying information was not available.
So far this season, there have been 18 human cases of West Nile virus in Tarrant County, eight cases in Collin County and seven cases in Denton County.
One person has died from the disease in Dallas County, a Carrollton resident in their 60s, officials said.
- Dress in long sleeves, pants when outside: For extra protection, spray thin clothing with repellent.
- DEET: Make sure this ingredient is in your insect repellent.
- Drain standing water in your yard and neighborhood: Mosquitoes can develop in any water stagnant for more than three days.
It has been recommended in the past that to avoid mosquito bites you should avoid being outdoors during Dusk and Dawn (the 4 Ds). While this is true for mosquitoes that commonly carry the West Nile virus, other types of mosquitoes that are more likely to carry Zika, dengue and chikungunya are active during the day. When outdoors, no matter what time of day, adjust your dress accordingly and wear insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus as your first line of defense against insect bites.
