Bexar, Texas.- Three mosquitoes have been found in Bexar County, the metropolitan area of San Antonio, Texas, which when analyzed tested positive for the West Nile virus, which causes the disease known as West Nile Fever, according to the county’s emergency management office, which has put authorities and the general public on alert.
This strain of the virus is a member of the Flaviviridae family, responsible for the Zika virus, the dengue virus and yellow fever virus, and can cause potentially fatal diseases such as encephalitis, meningitis or meningoencephalitis.
The most recent case was a mosquito found near Highway 90 and Cagnon Road in the county’s far west end.
The most common form of Transmission of West Nile virus is through the bite of a mosquito infected, these new findings cause alarm in the population because there are no vaccines or medications to treat the disease. Some of the symptoms that occur include fever, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash, among others.
As a result, Bexar County has increased its efforts to eliminate mosquitoes in the area. Authorities have already sent teams in fumigation trucks to eradicate these insects from public roads and parks in the area.
“The fogging agent used is environmentally safe and effectively kills mosquitoes,” according to a statement from the Office of Emergency Management (OEM).
In addition, the OEM visited 843 homes in the area to distribute preventive information to residents, especially those with minors.
How to prevent mosquitoes from infecting us?
Some of the Most effective ways to prevent bites are the use of insect repellent that includes active ingredients such as DEET, picaridin, IR3535, lemon eucalyptus oil, para-menthane-diol or 2-undecanone.
Other measures include wearing long-sleeved shirts and trousers; at home, putting mosquito nets on doors and windows is a good way to prevent them from entering.
Also, removing sources of stagnant water such as buckets of water, flower vases, puddles will help reduce their reproduction.
