FILE - Female Aedes aegypti mosquito in the process of acquiring a blood meal from its human host, 2006. Image courtesy Centers for Disease Control (CDC) / James Gathany. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
FRISCO, Texas - Mosquitoes collected in Frisco tested positive for West Nile Virus this week, city officials announced, prompting immediate pest control measures.
What we know:
City officials confirmed that two mosquito pools collected in Frisco tested positive for WNV. This detection marks the 21st positive mosquito pool identified in the city this year. No human cases have been reported in Frisco at this time.
The city has contracted pest control to conduct ground spraying over two consecutive nights.
Frisco Mosquito Spraying Schedule and Areas
Local perspective:
The spraying will occur overnight starting at 9 p.m. Saturday and again at 9 p.m. Sunday, concluding at 5 a.m. the following morning each night (weather permitting).
Ground spraying will take place in the following neighborhoods:
Downtown Rail District
Hickory Springs
Oakbrook Park Estates
Woodstream
Hickory Hills
Lone Star Ranch
Phillips Creek Ranch
What you can do:
Residents are urged to take precautionary measures to prevent mosquito bites, particularly since WNV-carrying mosquitoes reproduce in stagnant water.
Stay indoors at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active, apply insect repellents, wear long sleeves and pants outdoors, especially during active hours and drain standing water from gutters, pool covers, bird baths, and potted plant saucers.
What is West Nile Virus (WNV)?
Dig deeper:
West Nile Virus (WNV) is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the contiguous United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
WNV is most commonly spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. People are generally considered "dead-end hosts," meaning they cannot spread the virus to other people or to other biting mosquitoes.
The CDC states that approximately 80% of infected people do not develop any symptoms.
About 1 in 5 people develop symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, or a rash. These symptoms typically appear two to six days after the mosquito bite and usually resolve completely, though fatigue can last for weeks.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the city of Frisco.