CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District has reported a West Nile Virus-related death.
The deceased is a male in his 60s who had no known comorbidities. The resident lived in the 78380 zip code, where there has been a positive case of West Nile Virus identified in mosquitoes.
Currently, the case is defined as Potential West Nile Encephalitis and is still under investigation by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
This is the fifth human case of West Nile Virus identified in Nueces County for 2021.
West Nile Virus is a disease spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Texas has reported 33 cases of West Nile and three deaths for 2021.
Symptoms of West Nile Virus include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Tiredness
- Body aches
- Occasionally a skin rash, sometimes on the trunk of the body
- Swollen lymph glands
- Illness can be as short as a few days or last several weeks
Residents are advised to protect themselves from mosquito bites by avoiding outdoor activities, especially during dusk and dawn. While outdoors, wear FDA-approved insect repellent containing DEET and reduce mosquito breeding grounds by disposing of items in the yard that can contain standing water such as tires, toys, or water buckets. Lastly, if residents develop any of these symptoms following a mosquito bite, seek medical assistance immediately.
As a result of this confirmed case, the City’s Vector Control Unit will implement the Mosquito Management Response Plan. The response entails the following:
- The spraying of a 1/2-mile radius around the area of the detection for three consecutive nights beginning Wednesday evening, weather permitting.
- Police directed Patrol Officers and Neighborhood Services personnel will be attempting to locate any standing water in the affected neighborhood, including examining abandoned properties.
- Vector Control Services will conduct continuing surveillance of mosquito traps in the immediate area for signs of the Culex species of mosquito responsible for West Nile Virus.
