A Grand Prairie resident has the 20th human case of West Nile virus this season in Dallas County, health officials say Friday.
The person lives in the 75051 ZIP code and was diagnosed with the more serious West Nile neuroinvasive disease, according to Dallas County Health and Human Services.
For medical confidentiality and personal privacy reasons, further information is not expected to be released about the patient.
The 75051 ZIP code is bordered roughly by South Great Southwest Parkway on the west, Main Street (State Route 180) on the north, Pioneer Parkway (State Route 303) on the south and Mountain Creek Lake on the east.
Symptoms of West Nile neuroinvasive disease include neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis. The neuroinvasive form of the disease can be deadly.
- Dress in long sleeves, pants when outside: For extra protection, spray thin clothing with repellent.
- DEET: Make sure this ingredient is in your insect repellent.
- Drain standing water in your yard and neighborhood: Mosquitoes can develop in any water stagnant for more than three days.
It has been recommended in the past that to avoid mosquito bites you should avoid being outdoors during Dusk and Dawn (the 4 Ds). While this is true for mosquitoes that commonly carry the West Nile virus, other types of mosquitoes that are more likely to carry Zika, dengue and chikungunya are active during the day. When outdoors, no matter what time of day, adjust your dress accordingly and wear insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus as your first line of defense against insect bites.
