Dallas County Confirms Third Human Case of West Nile Virus

A University Park teenager fighting West Nile fever is the third case of West Nile virus reported in Dallas County this season.

Dallas County Health and Human Services said the patient lives in the 75225 zip code, which is in University Park.

A city representative said the boy has West Nile fever. It is the milder form of the virus and has flu-like symptoms.

Dr. Bryan Wasson, a doctor of internal medicine with Baylor Health Care System, said the fever can go down without turning into a more serious form.

The case is the third one in Dallas County reported this week. A patient is Richardson has also been diagnosed with West Nile fever, but a Grand Prairie resident has been diagnosed with the neuroinvasive form of West Nile virus.

News of a third case is not a good indicator for the rest of the season, Wasson said.

"We're very much hopeful that we had a better game plan in order to combat this infestation than we did last year, but again, not a good sign when we're seeing it so early and with three cases in such a short period of time," he said.

This year, University Park started its anti-mosquito efforts early after a resident died of West Nile virus in 2012. University Park has been fogging city parks, schools and alleys since April.

When the city received news of the juvenile case on Wednesday night, workers began spraying the area near the patient's home, which is in the north-central area of the city.