Selene Bocanegra Tizapan On Oct. 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced two cases of the West Nile Virus in Hidalgo County, with 65 cases reported in Texas.
The CDC reports that 605 out of the 880 cases reported in the U.S. are mild to severe.
Christopher Vitek, associate professor of integrative biological and chemical sciences, said there are over 3,500 mosquito types.
He said at least three types of mosquitoes transmit the virus in the Rio Grande Valley.
According to the CDC, the West Nile virus symptoms include:
– Fever
– Headache
– Body Aches
– Vomiting
– Diarrhea
– Rash
Vitek said the West Nile virus is referred to as an enzymatical transmission cycle, meaning it is primarily transmitted from birds, such as crows, blue jays, cardinals and others, to mosquitoes.
Vitek said because the Valley is a well-known migratory bird sanctuary, the virus is a yearly occurrence.
“We’re probably going to see cases of it appear every single season, every single year,” he said. “It’s what we refer to as sort of an endemic virus. It’s always going to be around.”
Vitek said he believes it is important to remember and recognize that there is a possibility the disease is circulating, even though most people will not know that they have the West Nile virus.
“However, because most people are asymptomatic, that probably means that if we hear about one or two cases of West Nile virus, there’s probably at least another five or six people that probably have the disease and don’t even know it because they’re never experiencing these symptoms,” he said.
Dr. Jose Campo Maldonado, associate professor of internal medicine, director of Antibiotic of Stewardship for Valley Baptist Medical and infectious disease specialist, said humans are not the primary target since birds are the ideal host.
“The virus enters our body; we are an incidental host,” Dr. Campo said.
Dr. Campo said even though it is rare, the symptoms can have long-term conditions, reportedly from a few weeks up to eight years.
As of now, the New York State’s Health Department mentions there is no current vaccine to prevent the West Nile virus, but people are advised to use mosquito repellent that contains DEET to prevent it.
