Selene Bocanegra Tizapan CAMERON COUNTY – Two confirmed cases of West Nile Virus were reported two weeks ago by the Cameron County Health Department. The disease may be confused with an another similar disease, according to officials.
Cameron County Health Administrator Esmeralda O’Hara said the symptoms of West Nile Virus and Dengue are very similar, and a test is the only way to spot the difference between the two diseases.
O’Hara spoke on some of the symptoms people have reported after contracting one of the viruses.
“The West Nile is more in terms of your nervous system… and the Dengue is more is more hemorrhagic so like, the bleeding,” she said. “Sometimes people bleed from their eyes and, you know, so forth. And so, those so it’s two different, it’s two different differences, clinically speaking.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control, individuals can develop symptoms such as headaches, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rashes. Fatigue is also one of the symptoms and can last for an extended period of time.
O’Hara said one of the measures the county is taking to prevent the disease is “mosquito spraying” based on the activities of the insect in different areas of the cities. The second measure the department takes is to do mosquito trappings, which serves to identify the mosquito and the diseases it carries.
The CDC stated individuals should use DEET-insect repellent, and wear long sleeves and pants to prevent a contraction of any mosquito-borne diseases.
