Texas Says Don’t Call 911 Over A Mosquito Bite

There have been over 1500 cases of the West Nile Virus, over half of them are from the state of Texas. However, officials in the great state of  Texas have reminded residents that the 911 emergency dispatch system is not to be used in the case of mosquito bites.

A spokesperson Matt Zavadsky says (quote) “We understand peoples concerns regarding the West Nile Virus, but in the absence of any symptoms of West Nile then a simple mosquito bite is really not a reason for someone to call 911. Our only option at that point is to send an ambulance to that call which takes that emergency resource out of the system — to respond to the motor vehicle accidents, the heart attacks — while we assess that mosquito bite on scene.”

Medical experts say that individuals bitten by a West Nile Virus mosquito wouldn’t begin to feel ill for several days later. And 80 percent of those bitten will ever show any signs of West Nile. There have been 8 confirmed cases of West Nile in the Texarkana area as of August 31st.

via Texas Department of State Health Services.