DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF News) – As the calendar approaches April, Dallas County is issuing a strong warning to the community about taking mosquito prevention more seriously.
Health officials have said that is when mosquitoes become more abundant in North Texas.
County Commissioner John Wiley Price said people have been hearing the warnings for years and have become desensitized to the possibility of catching the West Nile Virus.
“I think we take for granted it’s just a mosquito bite. We take for granted it’s just West Nile and we’ve been talking about this for decades now,” he said.
The county is pushing its “Fight the Bite” campaign which includes the usual EPA issued prevention tips, such as wearing long sleeve clothing, draining standing water and using repellent.
Price said that he wants to drive the message home that mosquito bites should be taken very seriously.
“Ladies and gentleman it is deadly serious,” he said.
The symptoms of the West Nile virus include fever, headaches, body aches, rash and swollen lymph nodes. Severe symptoms include stiff neck, disorientation, coma and paralysis.
Health officials advise anyone who has been bitten and who is experiencing these symptoms to get to a doctor immediately.
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