Denton County Public Health reported Wednesday its second human case of West Nile virus for 2017.
The infected person lives in an unincorporated area of Denton County, east of Lewisville, and was diagnosed with West Nile fever.
For medical confidentiality and personal privacy reasons, officials did not provide additional identifying information.
"It is important for residents to adhere to recommended precautions," said Juan Rodriguez, assistant director and chief epidemiologist at DCPH. "We encourage residents to drain standing water surrounding their homes, wear clothing that limits skin exposure, and utilize EPA-approved repellent when outdoors."
Officials in Dallas County announced the day before that a total of nine cases of West Nile so far this year.
- 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.
