West Nile virus has been found for the fourth time in mosquito pools in Nueces County.
In an Aug. 17 news release, Nueces County officials announced detection of the virus near Chapman Ranch.
Nueces County Vector Control is spraying the area where the virus was detected daily, the news release states, and officials "will continue to monitor the mosquito pools."
At least three other cases have previously been reported this summer.
The virus was detected in three mosquito pools collected on July 10, according to a post on the website of the Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District.
Those were located in 1000 Block of County Road 8A in Chapman Ranch, 700 Block of Golden Drive in Bishop, and 6900 Block County Road 38 in Agua Dulce, according
to the notification.
There aren’t any known cases of human infection in the county, it states.
The virus can have serious consequences.
“Infected individuals with West Nile Virus may experience fever, headache, body aches, and occasionally a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph nodes,” according to the health district. “Severe West Nile Virus infection symptoms may affect the brain’s spinal cord.”
Officials recommend the following safety measures:
- Draining any areas of standing water, the breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
- Applying mosquito repellent.
- Wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants.
- Avoiding outdoor activities early in the morning and late in the evening, the times of day that the insects are most active and humans at more risk for bites.
Kirsten Crow covers city government and water news. Have a story idea? Contact her at kirsten.crow@caller.com.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: West Nile virus detected in fourth mosquito pool in Nueces County
