The Hays County Health Department was notified by the Texas Department of State Health Services Public Health lab of a seventh positive West Nile Virus mosquito trap pool in the county on Sept. 5, according to a Facebook post.

This trap pool is located in the San Marcos area of Travis Elementary School and Millview East.

What residents need to know

Individuals can become infected with WNV if an infected mosquito bites a human or animal. Mosquitos become infected when they feed on the blood of infected birds, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Infected individuals will exhibit symptoms for three to six days, and may experience fatigue and weakness for weeks or months, according to a county news release. Symptoms of infection can include a fever, headache and a skin rash on the torso of the body. Additional symptoms include:

• Swollen lymph nodes
• Body aches
• Joint pain
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

Treatments are not effective due to the resistant nature of the virus to antibiotics and other medications, the news release states.


What they’re saying

Officials are continuing to encourage Hays County residents and visitors throughout Hays County to protect themselves from mosquito bites by doing the following:

• Drain standing water around your home and business
• Dress in long sleeves and pants to prevent mosquito bites
• Apply insect repellent while outdoors