Early Friday evening Dallas County Health and Human Services confirmed the county’s sixth death related to West Nile Virus.
Health officials say the patient lived in the 75062 zipcode in Irving which includes the city’s art’s district, but officials have not released personal information about the patient.
The patient had the neuroinvasive form of the disease which is the most severe. It affects the nervous system sometimes leading to encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, or meningitis, an inflammation of the membrane around the brain and the spinal cord.
The health department recommends people avoid exposure to West Nile Virus by practicing what it calls the “four d’s” :
--Use Insect repellents that contain DEET
--Drain any standing water
--Dress in long, loose and light-colored clothing and
--take extra care to use repellent and protective clothing from Dusk to Dawn.
