Texas health officials confirmed the first West Nile virus case of 2024 in the state after a Montgomery County resident was diagnosed with West Nile Fever. Ten travel-associated dengue cases have also been identified in Texas this year.

The best way to prevent a mosquito-borne disease like West Nile Fever or dengue is to keep mosquitoes from biting you in the first place.

The year’s first confirmed case of West Nile virus prompted the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to release an announcement urging Texans to take precautions to minimize the risk of being bitten by a mosquito and contracting a potentially life-threatening mosquito-borne disease.

“Unfortunately, many mosquitoes in Texas are capable of spreading diseases, such as West Nile and dengue. These diseases are often mild, but some people will develop severe illness,” DSHS Commissioner Jennifer Shuford, MD, MPH, said in the news release. “So, it is important for Texans to know how to protect themselves against mosquito bites.”

3 Ways to Prevent Mosquito Bites

Use the following tips and guidelines to help prevent mosquitoes from ever getting the chance to bite you and your family:

• Remove standing water: Standing water attracts mosquitoes and provides them with a fertile place to reproduce. Remove water that accumulates in toys, tires, trash cans, buckets, clogged rain gutters, and plant pots to avoid attracting mosquitoes.
• Wear protective clothing: Wearing long sleeves, pants, and proper headgear creates a physical barrier to prevent mosquitoes from biting.
• Apply insect repellant: Using insect repellants containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone helps reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes.

1 in 5 people infected with West Nile virus exhibit flu-like symptoms including fever, headache, body aches. In rare cases, the virus can spread to the nervous system and cause more sever symptoms including high fever, seizures, and paralysis, and can be fatal.

As of July 2024, DSHS has identified nearly 800 mosquito samples infected with West Nile virus in 24 counties across the state. In the Houston area, widespread rainfall and flooding from Hurricane Beryl left behind an abundance of standing water: ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Mosquito populations can remain active in Texas as late as December.