• West Nile Virus Prevention

    Houston ISD Procedures and Prevention measures:

    • School grounds will be monitored for areas of standing water. Steps will be taken to eliminate any areas identified.
    • Students may not bring insect sprays to school.
    • Students may bring repellent lotions, but must assume responsibility for its appropriate application, as irritations to the eyes and mouth can occur if inappropriately applied.

    The district, as usual, will follow recommendations by the City of Houston Health and Human Services Department.

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends the following when using products containing DEET:

    • Read and follow all directions and precautions on the product label.
    • Do not apply over cuts, wounds, or irritated skin.
    • Do not apply near eyes and mouth of young children.
    • Do not allow young children to apply this product.
    • Use just enough repellent to cover exposed skin and/or clothing.
    • Avoid over-application of this product.
    • After returning indoors, wash treated skin with soap and water.
    • Use of this product may cause skin reactions in rare cases.

    Facts - Human illness from West Nile Virus is rare. West Nile Virus is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito and can infect people, horses, many types of birds, and some other animals. There is no evidence to suggest that West Nile Virus can be spread from person to person or from animal to person. The risk of severe disease is higher for persons 50 years of age and older.

    Symptoms include flu-like illness, with moderate to high fever, headaches, muscle or joint pain, fatigue, nausea and respiratory symptoms.

    Prevention/Precautions

    • When outside, wear long-sleeve clothing.
    • Eliminate standing water.
    • Apply insect repellent containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) when you’re outdoors.
    • Avoid applying repellent to children less than 2 years old. Use care in applying repellent to small children, and don’t put repellent on their hands because it may get into their mouth or eyes and cause irritation.
    • Read and follow the product directions whenever you use insect repellent.
    • Wear long-sleeved clothes and long pants treated with repellent and stay indoors during peak mosquito feeding hours (dusk until dawn) to further reduce your risk.
    • Limit the number of places available for mosquitos to lay their eggs by eliminating standing water sources from around your home.