County leaders are currently monitoring samples after mosquitoes have tested positive for West Nile virus in both Williamson and Travis County.
Here's a timeline of announcements:
- Dec. 3: A mosquito trap sample collected on Nov. 30 in Downtown Georgetown has tested positive for West Nile virus. The sample was collected from a trap near Main and Third streets.
- Dec. 2: A mosquito trap sample collected at a site near West Whitestone Boulevard and West New Hope Drive has tested positive for West Nile Virus in Cedar Park. This is the first time this season a sample from this location has tested positive.
- Nov. 30: A mosquito trap sample collected in the City of Leander tested positive for West Nile virus. The positive sample was taken from a trap site near Devine Lake Park on Waterfall Avenue. The last date a positive sample was collected from this location was November 2016. This is the 10th reported West Nile virus positive trap of the 2021 season in Williamson County.
- Oct. 21: A mosquito trap sample in Cedar Park tested positive for West Nile virus as part of the Williamson County and Cities Health District's (WCCHD) Integrated Vector Management program. The trap is located near Cypress Creek Road and Sun Chase Boulevard. This was the first sample from the location to test positive this year and ninth in Williamson County. No humans have tested positive for West Nile virus in the county this year. The last time a trap sample tested positive at this Cedar Park location was November 2020.
- Oct. 6: The Williamson County and Cities Health District (WCCHD) confirmed a mosquito trap sample in Georgetown tested positive for West Nile virus Wednesday. The trap sample was collected near Diamond Dove Trail and Airport Road as part of WCCHD's Integrated Vector Management program. This was the eighth sample to test positive in Williamson County and first at this location. No humans have tested positive for the virus in Williamson County this year.
- Oct. 1: The Austin Public Health Disease Surveillance Unit confirms three Travis County residents have contracted the West Nile virus. There are now a total of five mosquito pools identified through routine area testing, all in the ZIP code of 78744. Two of the three infected individuals were exposed to the virus while traveling outside Austin-Travis County.
- Sept. 2: A mosquito trap sample in Granger tested positive for West Nile virus. Williamson County and Cities Health District discovered the positive test as part of its Integrated Vector Management program. The sample was taken from a trap near N. Colorado St. where another trap site tested positive on Aug. 24. This is the sixth trap to test positive and seventh West Nile-positive trap reported in Williamson County.
- Aug. 26: Austin Public Health announces that four West Nile-positive mosquito pools have been identified within the 78744 ZIP code within the last two weeks. In 2020, there were 36 positive mosquito pools in Travis County and 1,389 positive pools across the state of Texas, and just four confirmed West Nile virus cases.
- Aug. 25: A mosquito trap sample collected in the City of Granger has tested positive for West Nile virus. The positive sample was taken from a trap site near N. Colorado St. The last date a positive sample was collected was Aug. 17, 2021. This is the sixth reported West Nile virus positive trap of the 2021 season in Williamson County, and the fifth time this trap has tested positive this year.
- Aug. 4: A mosquito trap sample collected in the City of Granger has tested positive for West Nile virus. The positive sample was taken from a trap site near North Colorado Street. The last date a positive sample was collected was June 29, 2021. This is the fourth reported West Nile virus positive trap of the 2021 season in Williamson County, and the third time this trap has tested positive this year.
- July 1: Williamson County announces two more positive results from sites in Granger and Taylor. These just results were received on June 20.
- June 7: A mosquito trap sample collected in the City of Granger has tested positive for West Nile virus, according to a county press release. Williamson County officials said the positive sample was taken from a trap site near N. Colorado St. The last date a positive sample was collected from this location was Oct. 6, 2020. It is the first reported West Nile Virus positive trap of the 2021 season, and the earliest occurrence since the program’s start in 2013, according to county officials. In 2020, there were 17 mosquito trap samples that returned positive for West Nile virus in Williamson County, which was the highest amount ever recorded since the program’s inception. Three people in Williamson County were reported to have West Nile virus in 2020.
Mosquitoes are present in Central Texas year-round, but the population is the most abundant and active from May through November.
What you can do to prevent mosquitos:
Eliminating places where mosquitoes can breed and reducing the chances of mosquito bites are the most effective lines of defense against exposure to West Nile virus. As part of its Fight the Bite campaign the Health District recommends the three Ds of mosquito safety:
- Drain standing water in flower pots, pet dishes, or clogged gutters so mosquitoes don’t have a place to breed and treat water that can’t be drained,
- Defend by using an EPA-registered insect repellent, and
- Dress in long sleeves and pants when outdoors.
Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache and body aches, a skin rash on the trunk of the body, and swollen lymph nodes. The virus poses a higher risk to those over the age of 50, with even more severe illness that could include stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, vision loss and paralysis.
For more information, go to the WCCHD website at www.wcchd.org or visit the Texas Department of State Health Services West Nile website at txwestnile.org.
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