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Second West Nile Detection Confirmed in Hays County Mosquito Trap

State health officials confirmed a Nov. 4 Wimberley-area sample, prompting renewed county warnings on mosquito bite prevention.

Overview

  • Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed West Nile virus in a mosquito trap collected Nov. 4 in unincorporated Wimberley (ZIP 78676).
  • It is the county’s second positive trap this season, following an Oct. 28 detection near Dripping Springs.
  • Hays County urged residents to use EPA-registered repellent, wear long sleeves, and drain standing water to reduce breeding sites.
  • Officials noted mosquitoes can breed in as little as a teaspoon of water and asked residents to eliminate sources around homes.
  • Residents with symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting or diarrhea should seek care, with adults 50+ and the immunocompromised at higher risk; the county will continue surveillance, and 2024 saw nine local positive traps alongside 1,243 statewide detections so far this year after 3,314 last year.