The wet and cooler weather may lead to an early end for West Nile virus.
Health officials are closely watching the rare August weather pattern to see how it could change the fight against West Nile.
"We hope that after the rain, the temperatures will be below 100, so we can now begin to focus on Zika preparedness," said Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Zachary Thompson.
The rain can clear out stagnant water, but more important are the temperatures, which have dipped to the low 70s.
Mosquitoes prefers temperatures in the 80s.
In Dallas County, numbers of West Nile-carrying mosquitoes are down, while in Tarrant County, the number is at its peak for the season, about six weeks earlier than when it peaked last year.
The Tarrant County Commission will talk about whether aerial spraying should be an option, as officials continue to monitor the weather.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
The cooler weather can be deceptive, however, as people may venture outside to enjoy the outdoors but forget the bug spray.
"Right now, mosquito season, if you look at our vector index, is going down and that's good news, but we're still not out of the woods yet, so we still need everyone to use mosquito repellent all day, every day," adds Thompson.
- 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.
