EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – A man in his 50s, with “underlying health conditions,” is the first death due to the Neuroinvasive West Nile Virus (WNV) disease in the El Paso community this year, the City of El Paso Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday, Aug. 21 in a news release.
“The Severe Central Nervous System West Nile Virus disease is extremely dangerous and can lead to potential complications, disability or even death,” said City-County Health Authority Dr. Hector Ocaranza. “With the recent rain it is imperative that the public take precaution to decrease the risk of getting infected with WNV by practicing the four Ds to prevent mosquito bites.”
The City said El Pasoans can help ‘fight the bite’ by following these 4 easy prevention steps:
DEET: Use insect repellents that contain DEET when outdoors.
DRESS: Wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks when outdoors.
DUSK and DAWN: Although mosquitoes associated with WNV can be active throughout the day, residents should take extra care during peak mosquito biting hours (from dusk to dawn) or consider avoiding outdoor activities during these times.
DRAIN: Drain standing water from flowerpots, gutters, buckets, pool covers, pet water dishes, and birdbaths. After rains or lawn watering, residents should “tip and toss” any standing water they find outside.
Symptoms of West Nile infection include fever, headache, tiredness, body aches, nausea, vomiting and swollen lymph glands, according to the City.
The City said eight out of 10 people infected with the WNV will not develop symptoms. However, one in five people who are infected develop West Nile fever, an illness that includes a fever and other symptoms such as body aches, joint pain, headache, or a rash.
About one out of 150 infected people develop severe illness affecting the central nervous system and about one out of 10 cases of severe illness are fatal, according to the City.
Residents can report standing water and mosquito breeding by calling (915) 212-6000.
For more information and tips visit EPHealth.com under the Emergency Preparedness Be Climate Ready tab.
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