Tarrant County Reports First Human Case of West Nile Virus This Year

The case is a mild form of the disease and was contracted in southeast Tarrant County

Published July 24, 2018 • Updated on July 24, 2018 at 8:59 pm

Health officials confirmed Tuesday the first human case of West Nile Virus in Tarrant County this year.

The person with the disease contracted a mild form, known as West Nile Fever, in southeast Tarrant County, according to Tarrant County Public Health. The severe form of the disease is called West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease.

The department said it would not release any further details about the case.

Officials said those who contract West Nile Fever usually recover on their own, though the symptoms, including headache, fever, muscle and joint aches, nausea and fatigue, can last for several weeks.

Last year, Tarrant County Public Health reported its first human case of West Nile Virus on June 19. For the 2017 season, Tarrant County had 20 human cases of the disease, including two deaths.