What you need to know about West Nile in Ellis County

ELLIS COUNTY – While Dallas County has seen a number of West Nile cases this year in cities bordering Ellis County, Judge Todd Little said there have been no cases in Ellis County to date or any reports of patients with the West Nile Virus in the hospital.

Unlike in Dallas County, each municipality handles its own health plan according to Ellis County Local Health Authority, Dr. Anna Toker.

Ellis County cities doing their own spraying include Ennis with its health department indicating this year there was a report of West Nile Virus confirmed in mosquitoes collected in the city.

Ennis Health Department conducted a spraying on July 19 after that finding.

There have been no West Nile Virus human cases confirmed in Ennis, and the city encourages an Integrated Mosquito Management approach to reduce the mosquito population using surveillance, control of mosquito life stages and community outreach and education.

Midlothian has a trap and test program with five traps throughout the city that has resulted in no West Nile cases this year. Midlothian has not sprayed this year and the city has an integrated mosquito management plan and West Nile Virus Response Plan adopted by city council in 2013. 

Waxahachie’s West Nile Virus program is managed through the Waxahachie Animal Services. The city had six dates for spraying in July, August, and September.

Residents do have the ability to opt out of the West Nile Virus spraying in Waxahachie by calling (469) 309-4150 or email cathy.le@waxahachiepd.org.

Little said he is happy there have been no West Nile Virus deaths in Ellis County since there has been one death in Dallas in August due to West Nile Virus.

According to Dallas County’s Karen Falla, Public Information Specialist, Dallas County Health, and Human Services the spray generally used for West Nile Virus is permethrin and she added “This may be the largest West Nile Virus season in Dallas County.”