With temperatures still high in Texas, mosquito and West Nile virus numbers have started to rise with several mosquito pools in Frisco testing positive for the virus. To help combat the issue, local governments including Frisco and Denton County have recently been conducting mosquito fogging operations.
“We live right off of Lake Lewisville, and so mosquitoes are always a thing in our neighborhood,” journalism teacher Brian Higgins said. “It was somewhat comforting to be sitting outside the other night and see the mosquito fogging crew driving down my street spraying to hopefully reduce the number of mosquitos and ultimately the risk of West Nile.”
Health experts say it can be crucial to take precautions to protect yourself from mosquitoes.
“We’re seeing more positive mosquito traps in the last few weeks indicating increasing risk for contracting West Nile Virus, just as we’ve seen in our second human case and first death of the season,” DCPH assistant director and chief epidemiologist Juan Rodriguez said in an article on NBCDFW.com. “We ask community members to take preventive actions to lower their risk of contracting a mosquito-borne illness.”
Even though death from the virus is unlikely, people of all ages could contract serious symptoms from West Nile Virus.
“There can be individuals who are young and healthy as well that can end up hospitalized so everyone needs to take precautions,” zoonotic disease expert at UNTHSC Shelley Stonecipher said in an article on CBS News.
