Three more cases of West Nile virus in North Texas have been reported, but the colder weather raises hopes that mosquitoes that carry the disease will soon go dormant.
The West Nile virus threat appears to be far less severe this year compared to last, according health experts.
For example, Arlington reported 66 human cases last year, compared to just two so far this year.
The Tarrant County health department reported Wednesday that a Fort Worth woman in her 30s and an Arlington woman in her 60s have been diagnosed with West Nile virus.
In Dallas, the health department said one person had the illness in the southeast part of the city. It did not identify the victim by gender or age.
Meanwhile, health experts cautioned that while the frost predicted in parts of North Texas for Thursday morning might lessen the threat, it wouldn't eliminate it completely.
"As long as you still see mosquitoes, you need to be aware of them and take precautions," said David Jefferson, environmental health manager for the Tarrant County Public Health. "As long as there are mosquitoes out there, there may be one or two that carry West Nile virus. You can't get rid of all of them -- as much as I wish we could."
