UPDATE: 11:55 a.m. July 16:
Vector Control has announced it will spray over the next two nights, a half mile around the area where the West Nile Virus was detected in Corpus Christi.
The virus has been detected in a mosquito pool collected in the 400 block of Bartlett Drive near Driscoll Middle School.
Corpus Christi Vector Control reports there have been no reported human cases in Nueces County. The most recent positive West Nile case in Nueces County was reported by the Department of State Health Services was in 2020 and was found in a human.
West Nile is a viral disease spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito.
Infected individuals with West Nile Virus may experience fever, headache, body aches, and occasionally a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands. Severe symptoms of West Nile Virus infection may affect the brain and spinal cord.
The mosquito was trapped by the Corpus Christi Vector Control Program which has traps placed throughout the city to monitor the mosquito population. As a result of this positive mosquito pool, the Mosquito Management Response Plan will be implemented and will take the following preventative measures:
- Spray 1/2-mile radius around the area of the detection for three consecutive nights which began last night.
- Code Enforcement, Vector Control, and Neighborhood Services personnel will attempt to locate any standing water in the affected neighborhood including examining abandoned properties.
- Vector Services will continue surveillance of mosquito traps in the immediate area for signs of the Culex and Tarsalis species of mosquito, the mosquito that carries the West Nile Virus..
Vector Control reminds the public to keep themselves safe and help them by taking care of their property. Remember the 5 D’s of Defense:
- DEET – Use insect repellent containing DEET.
- DRESS – Dress in long sleeves and pants when you’re outside.
- DAWN, DAYTIME, and DUSK – Dawn, Daytime, and Dusk are the times of day when mosquitoes are most active. Avoid being outside during these times of day to prevent bites.
- DRAIN – Regularly drain standing water, including water that collects in empty cans, tires, buckets, clogged rain gutters, and saucers under potted plants. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water.
- DOCTOR – Consult your physician if you feel sick after being bitten.Please call 361-826-2489 if you wish to report abandoned property or high grass or standing water.
