West Nile Virus Awareness Begins

FAIRFAX, Va. (February 25, 2014) – States, such as Texas, that have a history of West Nile virus outbreaks are already beginning their 2014 awareness campaigns. This mosquito-borne disease is preventable by eliminating areas of standing water on private property and using insect repellants when outdoors.

In 2012, a West Nile virus outbreak in Texas resulted in more than 1,800 cases, about one-fifth of all reported cases in the country that year. Last year, Texas only had 172 reported cases of West Nile.