Escalating risks of West Nile Virus in rural Texas

Health officials at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta are calling the current outbreak of mosquito-transmitted West Nile Virus (WNV) disease across Texas the worst outbreak in the state’s history, causing cities across the state to launch comprehensive pesticide spraying programs in an effort to protect the public. The death toll related to West Nile Virus in Texas this year has reached 17 so far and health officials from Austin to Atlanta are warning that number could go higher. Also at risk are farm animals, especially horses, and Texas AgriLife officials are warning farmers and ranchers to take steps now to control potential mosquito breeding grounds to protect both humans and animals. In addition to stock ponds and water troughs in rural areas that serve as mosquito breeding grounds, officials say the problem is serious in urban areas as well. Dallas County, for example, has begun aerial spraying of pesticides to control mosquitoes for the first time in 45 years, largely because of concerns that public schools are set to open this week and next, which has alarmed parents over the dangers. West Nile Virus is a flavivirus commonly found in Africa, West Asia, and the Middle East. It is closely related to St. Louis encephalitis virus, which is also found in the United States. The virus can infect humans, birds, mosquitoes, horses and other mammals. The most severe type of disease for a person infected with West Nile virus is sometimes called “neuroinvasive disease” because it affects a person’s nervous system. Specific types of neuroinvasive disease include: West Nile encephalitis, West Nile meningitis or West Nile meningoencephalitis. While most people who contract the virus experience only mild flu-like symptoms including lethargy, weakness, muscle stiffness, malaise and loss of appetite, other and more symptoms might include possible neurological signs of encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). The latter might include stumbling, staggering, abnormal posture, disorientation, muscle twitching, seizures, paralysis, and coma. In humans, those with underlying health conditions, including the elderly and extremely young, are at greater risk. In some cases, the disease can be fatal.