What Happens When West Nile Virus is Found in Southlake?
What is West Nile?
As you may be aware, mosquitoes kill more humans than any other animal every year, and it’s not particularly close. According to the World Health Organization, more than 700,000 people die each year from mosquito-borne diseases. West Nile Virus is the most well-known vector disease mosquitoes bring. Its infections can range from asymptomatic to severe, with symptoms including fever, headache, body aches, and in severe cases, neurological complications such as encephalitis or meningitis. The virus is mainly transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes, particularly those of the Culex species, and there is no specific treatment or vaccine available for humans, making prevention through mosquito control and personal protective measures crucial.
Too Close to home!
What you may not know is that the City of Southlake constantly has a pulse on mosquito activity, especially as it pertains to West Nile Virus. Just this week I saw a post on Facebook from Southlake DPS sharing that one of the city’s traps has tested positive for West Nile Virus. It listed the address of the trap and stated that the city will be spraying the area for mosquitoes. I wanted to know more, so I reached out to Kennedy Meehan, the Emergency Manager for the city. The first thing I asked was about the traps and the process that the city uses. The city has five static traps that are checked weekly for West Nile Virus. They are taken to the health department to test if the virus is present. If tested positive, the city will treat three evenings in a row within a half mile radius of the trap as long as it is not windy or wet. If the conditions are not met the spray(s) will be postponed until the conditions are met.
Report Activity ASAP.
The city also listens to you! You can report mosquito activity to the city using the Mosquito Reporting Tool via the link below, or by going to the city’s website and going to the Mosquito Response page. The city will set out temporary traps to test for West Nile Virus as well. If West Nile is detected, the city will spray just as they would if it was detected in the static traps, and the temporary traps will remain in place until testing shows that there is no longer the threat of West Nile Virus.
For more information on how the City of Southlake works to protect you from West Nile Virus, you can reach out to Kennedy Meehan via email at kmeehan@cityofsouthlake.com or by calling her office line at (817) 748-8624, or by going to the Mosquito Response and Management page on the city’s website at https://www.cityofsouthlake.com/1707/Mosquito-Response-and-Management
