DALLAS – Another victim has died from the West Nile Virus in Dallas County, marking the eleventh fatality there this summer.
Dallas County Health and Human Services spokeswoman Patricia Huston said a patient living in the 75225 zip code was diagnosed with the disease and died. No other information was immediately available regarding the person’s age or gender.
The 75225 zip code in Highland Park encompasses about a five square mile swath extending north from Lovers Ln. to Walnut Hill Ln. sandwiched between U.S. 75 and the Dallas North Tollway.
The county’s fourth and fifth victims to die from the disease also lived in the same area code, county records show.
So far, there have been 262 human cases of West Nile in Dallas County and more than 600 in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area. The county's website keeps an ongoing log of where the positive cases have been found along with areas that have had mosquito pools test positive for West Nile.
On August 15, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings signed a declaration of emergency because of the high amount of cases. Aerial spraying began Thursday, but inclement weather slowed the spray schedule. Planes equipped with the pesticide Duet made a second round on Monday night to kill any mosquitoes that cropped up after the initial dousing.
Mosquitoes breed every five to seven days and lay between 200 and 300 eggs at a time.
Rawlings and Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins have scheduled a press conference for 3:30 p.m. Tuesday to discuss results from the spraying.
Dallas County Health and Human Services officials said it would take at least 24 hours to announce how effective the spraying was in ridding the area of West Nile-carrying mostquitoes.
At 2 p.m., officials within the Dallas Police Department, the City Marshal's Office, Dallas Fire Rescue and the city's Code Compliance Department will discuss ways residents can help fight against the spread of West Nile.
The county reminds residents to use insect repellants containing DEET, get rid of any standing water on your property, dress in "long, loose and light-colored clothing," especially when outdoors around dawn or dusk.
