West Nile virus is alive and well in Waco’s mosquito population.
Browsing: West Nile virus
Despite the cooling temperature, the mosquitoes could still bite.
Richard Duhrkopf, associate professor and chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Baylor, said the number of positive West Nile virus cases will decrease over time because some mosquitoes will die off due to cooler temperatures. However, the West Nile virus will continue to spread because not all mosquitoes will die from the cooler temperatures.
Donated blood in the Central Texas area has tested positive for the West Nile Virus since the recent outbreak this past summer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, humans can contract West Nile through mosquito bites. It is most often spread to humans when a mosquito feeds on an infected bird, then bites a human. CDC statistics show approximately 80 percent, or four out of five people, infected with the virus will not show any symptoms at all.