The Richardson Health Department is monitoring mosquito populations around the home of a Richardson resident who tested positive for a mild form of the West Nile virus. Traps have been set and will be tested tomorrow to see if mosquitoes test positive for carrying the virus.
“Signs of infection can take several weeks to appear once someone is infected,” said Richardson Health Department Director Bill Alsup. “Because of that, it’s very hard to distinguish exactly where someone may have contracted the virus. When we get a report of a person infected with West Nile virus we immediately follow-up by setting traps around the home of the victim to see if the virus is present in localized mosquito populations.”
For privacy purposes, specific identifying information on the victim is being held confidential. However, the victim is described as a 46-year-old male who is exhibiting a fever and mild signs of the virus. The victim lives in the central part of the city west of Central Expressway just north of Arapaho Road.
A ground spraying operation was conducted just south of the neighborhood of the victim’s home Sunday and Monday of this week in response to a positive finding of West Nile virus in a trap located in that area. However, spraying is only a measure to help limit exposure, and health workers urge people to maintain vigilance in protecting themselves when going outside.
