News Update
Three cases of West Nile Virus reported in Allen
By Conner Hammett, chammett@starlocalnews.com
Three probable human cases of West Nile Virus have been reported in Allen by the Collin County Health Department.
The report brings Collin County's total reported number of human West Nile cases this year up to five, with two cases reported in Plano last week. The last year instances of West Nile Virus were discovered in the county was 2009.
One of the cases was discovered on the west side of town and the other on the east, said Assistant Director of Planning and Development Lee Battle, who is working with the county on preventing the further spread of the disease in Allen.
Since West Nile Virus infections are caused by bites from mosquitoes carrying the disease, the city is working to minimize the mosquito population in the city limits, he said.
The city has a three-prong approach to mosquito control. First, areas that hold water such as creek beds, extension ponds and drainage areas are monitored for mosquito larvae and treated with a larvicide, which kills the larvae before they develop into adults, Battle said.
Second, the city's code enforcement and environmental health departments notify property owners if there is stagnant water on their property. In some cases, such as vacant houses where backyard pools are no longer being maintained, the city will treat the water with the larvicide before notifying property owners.
"Usually [the property] is owned by somebody, so when we find one we immediately treat it to get rid of the breeding of the mosquitoes," Battle said. "Then we notify the property owner to take care of the pool and get it cleaned or drained to get rid of the nuisance."
Third, Battle said, is public education: encouraging residents to take safety precautions to minimize the chance of being bit by a mosquito and to eliminate sources of stagnant water on their property such as fountains and plant pots.
"If it's something as simple as a bucket or bird bath, you can knock it over and drain the water yourself," he said.
A press release from the city said 24 stagnant swimming pools and more than 20 public areas with a history of holding water have been treated so far this year. Residents can report sources of stagnant water by calling 214-509-4160.
People bitten by mosquitoes should pay special attention to the symptoms typically associated with West Nile virus, said Collin County Chief Epidemiologist Peggy Wittie. She said there are two types of West Nile virus, West Nile fever and neuroinvasive West Nile, each of which has differing symptoms.
Eighty percent of all people bitten by infected mosquitoes show no symptoms, Wittie said. The remaining 20 percent are typically diagnosed with West Nile fever, which can last a few days to a few weeks. The incubation period for the disease is typically two days to two weeks.
The main symptoms of West Nile fever are fever, headache and fatigue, Wittie said. Infected persons could also have skin rash, swollen lymph glands and eye pain, but those symptoms appear only occasionally.
The more serious version of West Nile is considerably rarer, affecting about one in 150 infected people, according to the Centers for Disease Control. It may present itself as West Nile encephalitis, West Nile meningitis or West Nile poliomyelitis, and is especially dangerous for elderly people and those with compromised immune systems. The main symptoms for the more serious form are high fever, gastro-intestinal problems, seizures, weakness and changes in mental status, Wittie said. Severe symptoms such as paralysis and coma may also occur.
"If someone thinks they might have West Nile virus they definitely need to go to a doctor, especially if the symptoms last more than four days," Wittie said. "It may end up being West Nile virus even if you think it is something else."
The main way to prevent exposure to West Nile virus is to prevent mosquito bites in the first place. Wittie said using insect repellants with DEET is crucial, as is trying to avoid being outside at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active. For those people that must be outside at those times, Wittie advises wearing loose-fitting, light-colored long sleeve shirts and long pants.
For information from the city regarding mosquito control, visit www.cityofallen.org/index.aspx?NID=923.
Staff writer Bill Conrad contributed to this report.
The report brings Collin County's total reported number of human West Nile cases this year up to five, with two cases reported in Plano last week. The last year instances of West Nile Virus were discovered in the county was 2009.
One of the cases was discovered on the west side of town and the other on the east, said Assistant Director of Planning and Development Lee Battle, who is working with the county on preventing the further spread of the disease in Allen.
Since West Nile Virus infections are caused by bites from mosquitoes carrying the disease, the city is working to minimize the mosquito population in the city limits, he said.
The city has a three-prong approach to mosquito control. First, areas that hold water such as creek beds, extension ponds and drainage areas are monitored for mosquito larvae and treated with a larvicide, which kills the larvae before they develop into adults, Battle said.
Second, the city's code enforcement and environmental health departments notify property owners if there is stagnant water on their property. In some cases, such as vacant houses where backyard pools are no longer being maintained, the city will treat the water with the larvicide before notifying property owners.
"Usually [the property] is owned by somebody, so when we find one we immediately treat it to get rid of the breeding of the mosquitoes," Battle said. "Then we notify the property owner to take care of the pool and get it cleaned or drained to get rid of the nuisance."
Third, Battle said, is public education: encouraging residents to take safety precautions to minimize the chance of being bit by a mosquito and to eliminate sources of stagnant water on their property such as fountains and plant pots.
"If it's something as simple as a bucket or bird bath, you can knock it over and drain the water yourself," he said.
A press release from the city said 24 stagnant swimming pools and more than 20 public areas with a history of holding water have been treated so far this year. Residents can report sources of stagnant water by calling 214-509-4160.
People bitten by mosquitoes should pay special attention to the symptoms typically associated with West Nile virus, said Collin County Chief Epidemiologist Peggy Wittie. She said there are two types of West Nile virus, West Nile fever and neuroinvasive West Nile, each of which has differing symptoms.
Eighty percent of all people bitten by infected mosquitoes show no symptoms, Wittie said. The remaining 20 percent are typically diagnosed with West Nile fever, which can last a few days to a few weeks. The incubation period for the disease is typically two days to two weeks.
The main symptoms of West Nile fever are fever, headache and fatigue, Wittie said. Infected persons could also have skin rash, swollen lymph glands and eye pain, but those symptoms appear only occasionally.
The more serious version of West Nile is considerably rarer, affecting about one in 150 infected people, according to the Centers for Disease Control. It may present itself as West Nile encephalitis, West Nile meningitis or West Nile poliomyelitis, and is especially dangerous for elderly people and those with compromised immune systems. The main symptoms for the more serious form are high fever, gastro-intestinal problems, seizures, weakness and changes in mental status, Wittie said. Severe symptoms such as paralysis and coma may also occur.
"If someone thinks they might have West Nile virus they definitely need to go to a doctor, especially if the symptoms last more than four days," Wittie said. "It may end up being West Nile virus even if you think it is something else."
The main way to prevent exposure to West Nile virus is to prevent mosquito bites in the first place. Wittie said using insect repellants with DEET is crucial, as is trying to avoid being outside at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active. For those people that must be outside at those times, Wittie advises wearing loose-fitting, light-colored long sleeve shirts and long pants.
For information from the city regarding mosquito control, visit www.cityofallen.org/index.aspx?NID=923.
Staff writer Bill Conrad contributed to this report.
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