Three Bedford Residents Diagnosed with West Nile Virus

July 27, 2024

Three Bedford residents “have been positively diagnosed with West Nile Virus,” according to a News Flash statement Friday from the City of Bedford. In the statement, the City said it was notified of the three cases by Tarrant County Public Health.

The City noted that “Tarrant County is limited in the amount of information they can share with the City, as patient information (names, addresses, date of diagnosis, and virus specifics) are protected by HIPAA.”

According to the website of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most people (4 out of 5) “do not develop any symptoms.” In some cases, where symptoms do develop, the website stated, people may experience headaches, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or a rash. Most who contract febrile (feverish) illness, the CDC website said, “recover completely, but fatigue and weakness can last for weeks or months.”

Fewer than 1% of people, according to the CDC, “develop a severe illness affecting the central nervous system, such as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord).”

There is no treatment for West Nile Virus, the CDC website stated, but rest, drinking fluids and pain medications may relieve the symptoms. The CDC also recommended conferring with a health care provider if you think you a family member have been infected.

The statement from the City said that they are scheduling mosquito control spraying within a half-mile of the its mosquito traps, which are located on Simpson Terrace, Circle Lane, Brookside Drive and Brasher Lane.” The area has seen three positive tests for West Nile in just the past month. The dates for the spraying, the City said, will be announced on its website and through social media channels, when available.

The City said it applies monthly larviciding treatments in all the waterways to help control the mosquito population. In addition, the City’s said, the treatments are applied within a quarter-mile radius of the positive trap in the creeks and flumes.

To protect yourself and your family, the City recommends remaining indoors during dusk and dawn, when mosquitos are most active. If you have to go out during those times, the City further recommends wearing long sleeves and long pants and, for additional protection, you may want to consider spraying “thin clothing” with repellent. DEET, the City stated, “is an effective EPA-registered active ingredient to look for in your insect repellent.” It also recommends applying repellent that contains “up to 20% DEET.”

As a further precaution, the City recommends draining any standing water in and around your yard, where mosquitos tend to breed.

For more information about West Nile Virus, contact the City’s Public Works Department at 817-952-2200 or visit the City’s Mosquito Control webpage. This website offers additional resources on protecting against West Nile, in an interactive map displaying locations that are regularly monitored, and information on how to schedule on-site mosquito inspections with the City.

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