Authorities have confirmed a positive confirmation of the West Nile virus in Hidalgo County.
County leaders are holding a press conference in Edinburg at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Hidalgo County leaders have been closely monitoring the West Nile activity as the case counts climbed this summer.
In Texas, there have been a total of 1,066 cases of human illness due to West Nile virus, with a total of 43 fatalities this year.
Officials did not say which city had the positive confirmation but county leaders said they are working with state health officials to prevent an outbreak.
“We have been proactive in preparing for this event for weeks,” said County Judge Ramon Garcia. “County officials and partners are ramping up our efforts to ensure the health and safety of our residents.”
Hidalgo County Health and Human Services Chief Administrative Officer Eddie Olivarez issued a statement.
“We have a coordinated, regional action plan in place, and are working to take control of this event,” Olivarez said. “The public is encouraged to take measures to help prevent the possibility of infection from this disease.”
County leaders said there are precautions that can be taken to reduce the risk of exposure to West Nile.
Prevention
The best defense to West Nile virus is to practice these habits, known as the “Four Ds”:
1) Use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
2) Dress in long sleeves and long pants when you are outside.
3) Stay indoors at dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
4) Drain standing water where mosquitoes breed. Common breeding sites include old tires, flowerpots and clogged rain gutters.
People over 50 and those with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of becoming ill if they become infected with the virus.
Up to 80 percent of people infected with West Nile virus will have no symptoms and will recover on their own, however, some cases can cause serious illness or death.
Symptoms
Those who become infected will have mild symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, and occasionally a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.
The symptoms of severe infection (West Nile neuroinvasive disease) include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis.
Only about one out of 150 people infected with West Nile virus will develop this more severe form of the disease.
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