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Williamson County resident tests positive for West Nile virus

A mosquito on someone's hand
James Jordan
/
Flickr
This is the first human case in the county in 2024.

A person in Williamson County has tested positive for the West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne illness. This marks the first case for the county this year.

The Williamson County and Cities Health District (WCCHD) reported Friday that the patient is in their 50s, lives in the southern part of the county and was diagnosed with West Nile fever.

Thirteen mosquito traps in the county have tested positive for the virus so far this mosquito season, WCCHD said in a statement.

Mosquito traps around Wimberley have also tested positive for West Nile virus, the Hays County Health Department reported Friday. A mosquito pool in Travis County tested positive in May.

Eight in 10 people who get the virus don't experience any symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those who do typically experience fever, body aches, joint pains, rashes, swollen lymph nodes, vomiting or diarrhea.

People who are age 50 and older or immunocompromised are more likely to develop serious symptoms, which include "stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, vision loss, paralysis, and in rare cases, death," according to WCCHD. But the CDC says only 1 in 150 people who get infected will experience severe effects.

To prevent infection, WCCHD is urging people to drain any standing water on their property, including in plant pots, pet bowls and gutters. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water — even puddles as small as one teaspoon.

You can also protect yourself by spraying EPA-approved insect repellent, dressing in long-sleeved shirts and long pants, and being extra vigilant of mosquitoes at dusk and dawn. You can find more tips to prevent mosquito bites on the CDC website.

Chelsey Zhu is the digital producer at KUT. Got a tip? You can email her at czhu@kut.org.