Mosquito trap in Georgetown park tests positive for West Nile; ground spraying scheduled this weekend

GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) -- Ground spraying for mosquitoes is scheduled at a Georgetown park this weekend after health officials collected a second positive West Nile virus sample from a trap site in the park.

According to the City of Georgetown, the sample was collected July 3 from a trap site in Pinnacle Park, located at 309 Greenslope Lane.

The city said a Health District contractor is planning to conduct truck-mounted spraying on the evenings of July 12 and 13, weather permitting. The mosquito control product doesn't pose significant health risks, the city said, but people and pets may want to stay indoors during spraying.

This marks the eighth sample in Williamson County that has tested positive for West Nile virus since the Williamson County and Cities Health District began this year’s testing in May, the city said.

There have been no reported human cases of West Nile Virus in Williamson County this year.

Spraying July 12 and 13 in Pinnacle Park

The city said it is following the Health District’s best practices for Integrated Mosquito Management which calls for truck-mounted spraying, along with enhanced monitoring and testing and increased public outreach and education. Enhanced mosquito control efforts will also continue with the treatment of standing water with larvicide.

West Nile prevention

Know the dangers and fight the bite with the “four Ds”:      

• Drain standing water: Mosquitoes breed in standing water and need as little as one teaspoon of water. Emptying water that accumulates in toys, tires, trash cans, buckets, clogged rain gutters and plant pots will eliminate places for mosquitoes to lay eggs and reproduce.    
• Dusk to dawn: Although different species of mosquitoes are active at different times of day, the Culex mosquito that spreads West Nile virus is most active between dusk and dawn.    
• Dress: Wear pants and long sleeves when you are outside. Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing; mosquito-repellent clothing is also available.    
• DEET: Apply insect repellant: Use an EPA-registered repellent such as those containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol or 2-undecanone. Apply on both exposed skin and clothing.     

Signs and symptoms

West Nile virus  is commonly spread through mosquito bites and is not spread through coughing, sneezing or touching infected people or animals. It is the most common mosquito-borne disease in the United States, according to the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Approximately one in five people infected with West Nile virus develop symptoms such as: 

• Headache 
• Body aches 
• Joint pains 
• Vomiting 
• Diarrhea 
• Rash 

Of those infected, few can develop serious illness affecting the central nervous system. People over 60 years of age, persons with medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension or kidney disease and immunocompromised individuals, such as organ transplant recipients, are at greater risk of developing serious disease.     

Resources online to help

Testing sites can be tracked and can be seen with the latest cases reported in Williamson County on a dashboard online. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also has a website that can track it across the U.S., as well as here in Texas.