By Kevin Jefferies
Paris, Texas – A Paris man has been diagnosed with the West Nile virus. Paris/Lamar County Health Director Anthony Bethel was notified by the Texas Department of State Health Services of one case of West Nile virus and the possibility of another last week. Hunt, Titus, and Cooke Counties have each had one case of West Nile this year. Denton and Kaufman Counties have reported two and Collin County has four. Tarrant County has seven confirmed cases and Dallas county reports 27 confirmed cases of West Nile.
West Nile is spread by mosquitoes. About one in 150 people infected with the virus become seriously ill, and the risk is greater in those older than 50 years. The best defense against contracting the virus is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes by using insect repellent, wearing long sleeves, and avoiding outdoors at dawn and dusk.