Break out the mosquito repellant Austinites: West Nile Virus has made its way to Travis County. West Nile Virus has reached epidemic levels in Texas with most cases having been confined to North Texas. Now, however, the virus has emerged in Central Texas, with cases reported in McLennan and Travis counties.

The virus is carried by mosquitoes, which have become plentiful after our mild winter and recent heavy rains. Eighty percent of those infected with the virus have no symptoms, but one in 150 will contract a severe form of the disease.

Symptoms in their mild form may include fever, headache, body aches and swollen lymph nodes — signs of illness that are very often mistaken for the flu. A severe form of the disease may show symptoms such as stupor, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis.

Symptoms could last several weeks, and some effects could be permanent.

County Health and Human Services officials are sending letters to doctors informing them of the virus' presence and its symptoms.

Experts say residents should follow the four D's to avoid West Nile virus:

• Dusk and Dawn: Stay indoors during dusk and dawn. This time period is when mosquitoes are more likely to carry the infection, and when they are most active.
• Dress: Wear pants and long sleeves when you are outside, especially in mosquito-infested areas.
• DEET: Apply insect repellent that contains DEET. Read and follow label instructions. Spray both exposed skin and clothing with repellent.
• Drain: Get rid of standing water in your yard and neighborhood. Old tires, flowerpots, clogged rain gutters, leaky pipes and faucets, birdbaths and wading pools can be breeding sites for mosquitoes.

At this time, the county is not recommending spraying for adult mosquitoes because officials believe this is the least effective prevention technique.

“The most important thing people can do to protect themselves from West Nile exposure is to use insect repellent and avoid going outdoors at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active," advises Christine Mann, a spokesperson for the Department of State Health Services.

Anyone with an out of control mosquito problem in their neighborhood is asked to call 311.

Folks, there is no need to panic, but just the same, you must be vigilant. Remember, it only takes one teaspoon of water for your birdbath or overturned garbage lid to become a paradise for breeding mosquitoes and disease.