LOCAL

Mosquito trap in Granger tests positive for West Nile virus

Claire Osborn
Austin American-Statesman
The Southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus, spreads West Nile virus. [Photo by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

A mosquito trap sample collected in the city of Granger has tested positive for West Nile virus.

The positive sample was taken from a trap site near N. Colorado Street in Granger, according to a news release from the Williamson County and Cities Health District.

Granger is about 36 miles northeast of Austin.

This is the second time this season that a sample from that location has tested positive for West Nile virus, the release said. The last date a positive sample was collected was Sept. 1.

This year there have been 15 mosquito trap samples that have returned as positive for West Nile virus in Williamson County, the highest ever recorded since the program started in 2012, according to the release.

There have been three human cases of West Nile virus reported in Williamson County this year.

Symptoms of infection may include fever, headache and body aches, a skin rash on the trunk of the body, and swollen lymph nodes.

Those ages 50 and older and/or with compromised immune systems are at a higher risk for severe symptoms, which may include stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, vision loss, paralysis, and in rare cases, death.

Mosquitoes are present in Central Texas year-round, but the population is largest and most active from May through November, the release said. During this period, the health district monitors the mosquito population and tests for mosquito-borne viruses.

“Dumping any amount of standing water around your home and using insect repellent when outdoors, especially at dawn and dusk, is highly recommended to keep yourself and your family safe from mosquito-borne illness,” said Jason Fritz, the health district’s integrated vector management program lead.

Mosquitoes breed in standing water, needing as little as one teaspoon.

What you can do:

• Drain standing water in flowerpots, pet dishes or clogged gutters so mosquitoes don’t have a place to breed, and treat water that can’t be drained,

• Defend by using an EPA-approved insect repellent, and

• Dress in long sleeves and pants when outdoors.

For more information, visit the WCCHD website at wcchd.org or the Texas Department of State Health Services West Nile website at txwestnile.org.