On Monday, the Denton County Health Department confirmed three additional cases of West Nile virus in humans.
The new cases reside in Denton, Highland Village and the southern portion of unincorporated Denton County. Information on the patients is being withheld for confidentiality reasons.
The three new cases brings the total to six human cases for the county.
Most people bitten by a West Nile virus infected mosquito will not show any symptoms. Should symptoms appear, they are fever, headache, nausea, body aches, swollen lymph nodes, and skin rashes. Less than 1 percent of those infected with West Nile virus will experience the serious form of the illness; serious symptoms include high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, tremors or convulsions, vision loss, muscle weakness, and numbness or paralysis.
Residents to take the proper precautions to reduce their risk of getting the mosquito-borne West Nile virus by remembering the four D’s: drain, dress, DEET and dusk/dawn.
Residents should:
- Drain standing water around their homes to reduce mosquito breeding grounds.
- Dress in pants and long sleeves when outside, but avoid becoming too hot.
- Apply an insect repellent that contains DEET to exposed skin and to clothing when outdoors.
- Stay indoors at dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
