The City of Georgetown and Williamson County are encouraging residents to be vigilant this summer after the county identified a West Nile positive mosquito trap in Granger earlier this month.
“A mosquito trap sample collected in the City of Granger has tested positive for West Nile Virus,” according to the Williamson County and Cities Health District. “The positive sample was taken from a trap site near N. Colorado St. The last date a positive sample was collected was Oct. 6, 2020.”
WCCHD says this is the first reported West Nile Virus positive trap of the 2021 season.
“In 2020, there were 17 mosquito trap samples that returned positive samples for West Nile Virus in Williamson County – the highest amount ever recorded since the program’s inception,” the organization wrote. “There were three human cases of West Nile virus reported in Williamson County in 2020.”
Ways to guard against mosquito bites include eliminating potential breeding grounds by draining standing water in items such as:
- Flowerpots
- Pet dishes
- Clogged gutters
Water that can’t be drained should be treated.
” Be sure to practice the 3 Ds,” the City of Georgetown wrote. “🛡️Defend–Use repellent 👖Dress–Wear long sleeves and pants 💧Drain–Get rid of standing water.”
While mosquitoes can be found in Central Texas at all times of the year, the largest and most active population is found from May through November.
For more information, go to the WCCHD website at www.wcchd.org or visit the Texas Department of State Health Services West Nile website at txwestnile.org.
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