JACKSONVILLE — Cherokee County has two confirmed cases of the West Nile virus, which has been responsible for 31 deaths in Texas this year, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

A less-severe fever form of the illness is confirmed in Jacksonville, said Rhonda Jones, public health preparedness coordinator with the Cherokee County Public Health Department. She said the other is the more severe neuroinvasive disease, but the specific location of the person affected is unknown.

No deaths have been reported for the county.

According to the TDSHS, most people infected with the virus will not have any symptoms.

Those who come down with the fever form will have mild symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, and occasionally a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.

The symptoms of the West Nile neuroinvasive disease include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis, the department states. Only about one out of 150 people infected with West Nile virus will develop a more severe form of the disease.

“Mosquitoes become infected when they bite birds infected with West Nile Virus,” Jones stated in CCPHD press release. “Anyone finding a dead bird is encouraged to dispose of the bird but do not handle it with your bare hands. There is no need to report findings of dead birds to Cherokee County Public Health as we no longer test birds for West Nile Virus since we know the virus is in the state. “

Residents over 50 should be especially cautious of the disease, despite that it is not contagious from person to person.

According to TDSHS, there have been a total of 783 cases reported in the state. Of those, 367 are the milder fever form and 416 were the neuroinvasive disease.  

Eight total cases are confirmed in Smith County, nine in Angelina County and five in Rusk County.  

Cherokee County residents who live in an incorporated city should contact their city directly regarding mosquito control plans and are advised to check their property closely for standing water and other signs of possible mosquito infestation, eliminating as many of the contributing factors as possible, Jones said in the release. In some situations, it might be helpful to contact a pest control company to evaluate your property.



“Cherokee County Public Health will continue to investigate each report of possible West Nile Virus cases and work closely with the Texas Department of State Health Services to promote and protect the health of our citizens,” Jones said.