The Texas Department of State Health Services announced yesterday that the season’s first case of human West Nile illness in East Texas. An adult male in Anderson County has been confirmed with the neuroinvasive, or more severe, form of the disease.
The announcement of WNV in Henderson County’s neighbor is important this Memorial Day weekend, as thousands of residents head outdoors to celebrate at barbecues and camping trips.
Henderson County set a record last year with four cases of West Nile Virus in humans. While that may not sound like much, remember that before last year the county had a grand total of two confirmed cases of the infection in humans. Both of those came in 2005.
So this weekend, remember these guidelines from the State Health Department:
- Use an approved insect repellent every time you go outside and follow the instructions on the label. Among the EPA-approved repellents are those that contain DEET, picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
- Regularly drain standing water, including water collecting in empty cans, tires, buckets, clogged rain gutters and saucers under potted plants. Mosquitoes that spread WNV breed in stagnant water.
- Wear long sleeves and pants at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
- Use air conditioning or make sure there are screens on all doors and windows to keep mosquitoes from entering the home.