El Paso health officials announce first reported West Nile Virus case
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso's first reported case of Neuroinvasive West Nile Virus Disease (WNV) this season has placed a 50-year-old man in the hospital.
The City of El Paso Department of Public Health made the announcement Wednesday. It did not provide any additional information about the patient.
“The Severe Central Nervous System West Nile Virus disease is extremely dangerous and can lead to potential complications, disability or even death,” said City-County Health Authority Dr. Hector Ocaranza. “The public should continue to be careful."
Residents are encouraged to follow the four "Ds": Deet, Dress, Dusk and Dawn, and Drain. You should use deet to repel insects while outdoors, wear long clothing to prevent bites, avoid going out at dusk and dawn as those are peak hours for WNV infected mosquitoes, and drain standing water to prevent breeding.
WNV spreads through mosquito bites. The best way to prevent contracting the disease is to avoid being bitten by a mosquito.
The majority of people infected with WNV will never know that they have contracted it, City health experts tell ABC-7. Eight out of ten infected people never develop symptoms. Still, infected people are always as risk, as one out of every 150 will develop a severe illness. One out of every ten severely ill patients will die of WNV.
People 60 and over are at highest risk of developing a severe illness due to WNV. Also, those with certain preexisting conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, and those who recently underwent an organ transplant are also at risk.
El Paso consistently reports about a dozen WNV cases every year. The City has reported WNV deaths in past years.
