Dallas County Health and Human Services says they'll begin ground spraying after three more mosquito pools have tested positive for West Nile virus.
The latest samples were pulled from traps in Balch Springs (75180), Dallas (75205) and Highland Park (75205).
Ground spraying will be in done in Balch Springs, where four positive tests for West Nile have been confirmed this season. Spraying will be done between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. July 12-13, weather permitting.
On Wednesday, DCHHS confirmed positive samples in University Park and DeSoto, in the the 75225 and 75115 ZIP codes, respectively.
So far this year, DCHHS has confirmed 33 positive samples of West Nile virus in mosquitoes and one human case. The human case was confirmed earlier this week in Irving where a patient in the 75061 ZIP code contracted the neuroinvasive, or more severe, form of the disease.
The positive mosquito samples were pulled from the following areas (the number of samples is in parentheses):
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Balch Springs - 75180 (4)
Dallas - 75208 - (1)
Dallas - 75217 - (8)
Dallas - 75225 - (1)
Dallas - 75229 - (2)
Dallas - 75230 - (2)
Dallas - 75244 - (1)
DeSoto - 75115 - (2)
Garland - 75044 - (1)
Highland Park - 75205 - (4)
Irving - 75038 - (1)
Irving - 75062 - (3)
Mesquite - 75181 - (1)
University Park - 75225 - (1)
- 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.
