A second human case of West Nile virus has been confirmed in Arlington. Health officials say this latest victim was diagnosed with the less serious non-neuroinvasive form of the disease, more commonly referred to as West Nile fever.
City and county health officials are not releasing any other information about the victim or which part of the city they live in, citing privacy laws.
The city says additional mosquito traps will be set up within a quarter-mile radius of the victim’s home. If any of those traps test positive for West Nile Virus, additional spraying will take place.
This latest confirmation comes a week after the city reported its first human case of West Nile Virus. Tarrant County Public Health says human cases tend to spike two to three weeks after the number of positive mosquito traps do, which is why they expect there will be additional human cases in the coming weeks.
Tarrant County has had five confirmed human cases of West Nile Virus this season and no deaths. That’s trending down from 2013, when there were nine cases and two deaths – and is way down from 2012, when there were 280 cases and 11 deaths.
Arlington is encouraging residents to take precautions that will help prevent mosquito bites. They include staying indoors at dusk and dawn, wearing pants and long sleeves when outside, using insect repellent that contains DEET, and draining any standing water on your property where mosquitoes can breed.
