What happened
According to an Oct. 18 city news release, the positives came from mosquito pools located:
- Near the intersection of Potomac Lane and Parliament Lane
- Along Plantation Lane near White Rock Creek
The two new positives bring the city’s total for the 2024 mosquito season to 26.
A pool positive means mosquitos at the location were captured, tested and confirmed to be carrying the virus. Frisco’s mosquito pools are tested weekly during mosquito season, which typically runs from May-November.
Multiple Frisco mosquito pools have tested positive for West Nile virus multiple times this year, including the two confirmed Oct. 18. The pool near Potomac Lane and Parliament Lane last tested positive in late September and the Plantation Lane pool tested positive the week of Oct. 10.
In response to the new round of positives, a third-party contractor hired by the city was scheduled to spray the areas surrounding the positives with an adulticide, a mosquito insecticide, overnight Oct. 19-20.
Adulticide is sprayed by specialized trucks in a one-mile radius around a West Nile-positive pool. Spraying takes the form of a mist or fog and is harmless to pets and humans when done correctly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Keep in mind
There have been no confirmed positive human cases in Frisco this year, according to the release. However, surrounding communities, including McKinney, have seen some human positives, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services’ website.
Frisco officials upload the locations of positive mosquito pools and spray areas to the city’s mosquito surveillance map, a public database that has recorded all West Nile positives and spraying areas since 2018.
Before you go
The Texas Department of State Health Services recommends residents take precaution against mosquitos with the following steps:
- Wear long sleeves and pants outside at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
- Use insect repellants if outside. Approved repellents contain DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
- Drain standing water that collects in bird baths, French drains, clogged gutters, saucers under potted plants and splash blocks. The mosquitoes that carry the virus can breed in as little as 1-2 teaspoons of standing water, according to the Denton County Public Health website.
More information on how to prevent mosquito bites and breeding, as well as a list of frequently asked questions on Frisco’s West Nile virus responses and policies, can be found here or by contacting the city’s Health and Food Safety Division directly at 972-292-5304.
