What to know about West Nile virus in Williamson County

At least two mosquitoes have tested positive for West Nile in Williamson County in July, according to data released by Cedar Park and the city of Taylor.

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- At least two mosquitoes tested positive for West Nile virus in Williamson County this month, according to data released by Cedar Park and the city of Taylor.

The positive test in Taylor was found near North Drive and T.H. Johnson on July 2, according to the city's Facebook page. The other, also found on July 2, was at Elizabeth Milburn Park in Cedar Park.

“With the recent rain events, we are seeing large increases in mosquitoes throughout Williamson County,” Williamson County Integrated Vector Management program lead Jason Fritz, MPH, said.

The health department said 35 mosquito trap samples last year returned positive samples for West Nile virus in Williamson County. One human case of West Nile virus was reported in Williamson County in all of 2023.

You should look out for symptoms of West Nile for things that might include fever, headache, and body aches, a skin rash on the trunk of the body, and swollen lymph nodes.

The health department said people 50 and older and/or with compromised immune systems are at a higher risk for severe symptoms, which may include stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors, vision loss, paralysis, and in rare cases, death.

You can track where the testing sites are and see the latest cases reported in Williamson County on a dashboard online.

Williamson County reporter Barrett Tryon is taking a closer look at the numbers and asking doctors what you need to know about West Nile. Look for his report on KXAN News.