TARRANT COUNTY, TX
Public Health
June 15, 2023
Summertime in Tarrant County
It's finally summer. Having lived here for a few years, I've learned Texas summers can be brutal.
Perhaps the toughest part of summer are those inescapable high temperatures. According to recent Heat-Related Illness and Deaths reports (outdated link), heat exhaustion and sunburn were the most observed heat-related illness categories the last full week of May, with the highest percentage of those cases among males, and adults ages 25-44. The June 10 report also stated that there have been 13 Ozone Action Days, when ozone in the local air reached an unhealthy level for sensitive groups.
Regarding the heat injuries, I refer you to our Avoid Heat Injuries webpage. There you will find the types of heat injuries to watch out for, and what can be done do to prevent and/or treat them.
As for the Ozone Action Days, if you're one of those sensitive groups, my advice would be to get familiar with the Air Quality Index and avoid going outdoors. But if you must be outside, check the air quality first, and don't stay out very long.
Another summertime threat we face is West Nile Virus (WNV). It's predominately carried by certain types of mosquitoes. You can learn all about that on our Be Mosquito Free web page. Tarrant County Public Health maintains an ongoing surveillance program in cooperation with all the county's municipalities. We help them collect samples of mosquitoes, which we test in our laboratory to determine if those mosquitoes carry WNV. If they do, we notify the city in which the positive pool was found so they can take appropriate action. Should we find positive samples in unincorporated areas, Public Health will notify the residents in that area at least 24 hours ahead of time before we do any ground spraying.
Heat, air quality and West Nile Virus are the things we're watching now as we move into summer. Should any other health-related surprises crop up --as they sometimes do, we will keep you informed.
Stay safe and stay cool!
Yours in health,
Veerinder "Vinny" Taneja
Director, Tarrant County Public Health