West Nile virus cases reported in the region

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Richardson and Plano Department of Health officials perform an adulticide spray against mosquitoes near the campus

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the town of Richardson used orange agent in mosquito adulticide sprays. The Mercury regrets this error.

After a resident of Richardson contracted the West Nile virus in an aggressive form last month, city health department officials ordered the spread of adulticide mosquitoes in nearby neighborhoods. However, there was no spraying on the campus of the UTD.

West Nile neuroinvasive disease, such as that contracted by Richardson resident, can cause high fever, coma and paralysis, among other symptoms. In August 2018, an elderly resident of northern Dallas succumbed to this form of the virus.

The Richardson resident who contracted West Nile lives on the corner of Custer Road and Campbell Road, less than 3 km from the campus. On September 11, a mosquito insecticide was applied to areas north and west of Custer Road and Campbell Road. A total of 10 traps at Richardson and Plano were tested positive for West Nile virus in September. On September 20, the city of Plano reported its first case of West Nile virus, followed by another case on September 21st. These two cases were not neuroinvasive.

Leaders from Plano's Environmental Health Department and Richardson's Department of Health commissioned four spraying sets in September.

Bill Alsup, a senior environmental health specialist at Richardson, said the UTD campus was not sprayed during the September sprays, as the university was outside its spray area.

"We do not spray the campus at all. We do not drive on campus, "Alsup said." It could affect Waterview, Synergy or Campbell, but not inside the campus. "

Communications Officer Robin Russell said the university does not spray mosquitoes, but instead uses mosquito bins, a preventive measure designed to kill mosquitoes in the larval stage.

The Plano City Environmental Quality Specialist, Carolyn Russell, said that mosquito bins can be effective when the exact location of a mosquito pool is known, but that adult mosquitoes carrying the virus are not affected. Carolyn Russell also stated that the virus does not affect isolated areas and can be transmitted by nesting mosquitoes.

"To be able to say definitively that this would only be isolated, we could not really say that," Carolyn Russell said. "Because mosquitoes are moving, the virus will move."