SAN ANTONIO – According to Bexar County officials, another mosquito has tested positive for the West Nile virus, making this the third case for the county in 2024.
Officials said the mosquito was found near Highway 90 and Cagnon Road.
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The two other cases were found near a drainage channel near Glen Fair Drive in east Bexar County and near Highway 90 and Kriewald Road in west Bexar County.
While county officials said they were increasing their mosquito abatement efforts within the area and offered tips in their press release, KSAT 12 News wanted to learn more about the virus and talked with a local epidemiologist about it.
The first question we asked UT-Health Chief Epidemiologist Jason Bowling was about the virus and the severity of the cases locally.
Bowling said the virus is an infection transmitted by mosquitos and not from people, adding that Texas is leading the US in positive cases.
“Texas is diagnosing these cases. It is particularly in more urban areas such as Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio,” Bowling said. “Cases fluctuate year-to-year, so Texas usually has several reports that pop up.”
Bowling added that about 80% of infected people won’t know they have the virus or have symptoms. Twenty percent of infected people will have mild symptoms such as fever chills, muscle aches, and fatigue. A small percentage of those infected will develop a severe disease and that’s why they worry about the virus.
Next, we asked Bowling about the clinic’s protocol when they had a positive patient.
Bowling said since only 20% of people develop mild symptoms, it was rare for them to treat patients.
However, when those severe cases arise, Bowling said they provide supportive care since there isn’t a vaccine to treat the infection.
“One of the challenges with West Nile virus is that we don’t have a vaccine, anti-viral treatments, or a pill that can help with the infection,” Bowling said. “So, fortunately, it’s a small percentage of patients who end up in the hospital. But for those few people that do, we provide supportive care, watch them, and give them IV fluids if needed.”
Lastly, we asked Bowling about preventative things people can do to avoid getting infected and how the county was helping decrease West Nile.
He responded with several tips that included:
- Wear long-sleeve clothes
- Make sure that you have no standing water outside your household
- Wear insect repellent with DEET, commonly found in most repellent sprays.
Regarding the county’s mosquito abatement efforts, Bowling talked about details they had mentioned in their press release.
The county’s efforts included fogging several areas, informing residents near positive areas about preventative measures, and spraying pesticides to keep the mosquitos away.
Bowling added that you can visit Metro Health’s site for information on their abatement efforts and West Nile.