Denton County health officials are reporting the county's first human case of West Nile virus of the 2016 season on Tuesday.
The person lives in unincorporated Denton County near Little Elm, and was diagnosed with the more serious West Nile neuroinvasive disease, according to Denton County Public Health.
There have been three human West Nile cases so far this year in Dallas County and one case in Tarrant County.
- 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.
