A mosquito trapped in unincorporated Tarrant County has tested positive for West Nile virus, county officials say Wednesday.
The sample was collected in the area around Grimsley Gibson Road between Rendon and Mansfield.
Weather permitting, Tarrant County Public Health will begin ground spraying efforts in the affected area Friday at 9 p.m. They plan to continue treating the area until 5 a.m. Saturday morning.
To date, 1,572 mosquito samples have been tested at TCPH’s North Texas Regional Laboratory since seasonal surveillance began on April 1. A total of eight samples have tested positive – Fort Worth (4), Richland Hills (1) and Unincorporated Tarrant County (3), TCPH said in a news release Wednesday.
"TCPH would like to remind residents of the importance of taking personal protective measures to safeguard against West Nile virus. Residents should routinely dump standing water on their property, use repellent, and dress for dusk to dawn," officials said in a news release.
- 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.
