AMARILLO, TEXAS -- Two cases of the West Nile virus have been confirmed in the Potter/Randall county area. The two human cases were diagnosed in the past three months, however, there have been no fatalities.
Officials with the Department of Public Health in Amarillo encourage everyone to be wary of the virus, especially because of the recent rains around the area. That often brings out more mosquitoes, which is how the virus is transmitted.
Because there is no preventable vaccine or treatment medication for the virus, health officials in Amarillo encourage everyone to abide by the Four D's: Dress, Dawn, Dusk and Deet. Dress in long sleeves and pants when you're outside, avoid being outside around Dusk or Dawn, and always use mosquito repellant that contains Deet.
Assistant Director for the Department of Public Health in Amarillo, Hector Mendoza, said it's also very important for people to drain any standing water they might have in their yards.
"Kids toys, buckets, even tires can gather water," Mendoza said. "These are places, that standing water, that mosquitoes like to leave their eggs and they hatch and they grow to become adult mosquitoes that can potentially transmit the West Nile virus. So, drain those out, dump those out and let them dry."
Common symptoms caused by the virus can include headache, stiff neck, nausea and vomiting, or flu-like symptoms such as achiness or feeling tired.
If you have any questions about the West Nile virus, contact officials with the Department of Public Health at 378-6300.
