Dallas County Health and Human Services announced Tuesday the first death from West Nile virus in 2024.
The department said the patient was a woman with underlying health conditions diagnosed with West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease, a severe form of the mosquito-borne virus. The woman lived in the 75230 ZIP code.
Due to privacy and confidentiality reasons, DCHHS has not released additional information about the patient.
“We are deeply saddened by this loss,” Dr. Philip Huang, the department’s chair, said in a news release. “This heartbreaking tragedy underscores the critical importance of protecting yourself from mosquito bites, which can transmit several diseases, including West Nile virus.”
The death comes as mosquito activity remains high in North Texas, where the virus was detected in mosquitoes beginning in May. More than 100 cases of West Nile virus have been reported in the United States so far this year, including 18 in Texas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne illness in the United States. Most people infected have no symptoms, but patients who develop symptoms may experience fever, headache, body aches, and rash three to 14 days after a mosquito bite. Less than 1 percent of people who contract the virus develop severe neuroinvasive West Nile disease, an illness that can lead to death or long-term disability.
Dallas County officials have recommended that residents practice the four basic principles (DET, dress, dewater and dusk to dawn) to combat the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. These measures recommend that residents use insect repellents containing DEET or other EPA-approved repellents, wear long, loose-fitting clothing, drain standing water and avoid being outdoors from dusk to dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
