CORPUS CHRISTI (Kiii News) -
Spraying has already begun in the area around the 400 block of Bartlett Street, where officials have confirmed the West Nile virus in a mosquito pool sample taken from that area.
According to the Nueces County Public Health District, the sample was sent to the Texas State Department of Health Services, who then confirmed that mosquitos in that pool did, in fact, carry West Nile.
So far this year, there have been no human cases of West Nile in Nueces County, but local health authority Dr. William Burgin, Jr., said residents should take necessary precautions in order to lessen their risk of contracting the virus.
Burgin explained four simple steps to take to lower your risk:
1. Use an insect repellent that contains DEET, and make sure to follow the instructions that are printed on the label. Spray it on your clothes and skin.
2. Wear long sleeves and long pants when going outside.
3. Mosquitos are most active during dusk and dawn, so stay indoors at those times.
4. Drain all standing water from your backyard and neighborhood. Dispose of old tires, drain flowerpots, bird baths and clogged rain gutters. These are sites that mosquitos tend to breed in.
The Health District will continue to monitor mosquito pool samples.
