Trucks rolled through Highland Village streets because of recent findings of infected mosquitoes. The West Nile virus has become a topic of concern for scientists and doctors. With constant mosquitoes in the air, especially during the summer months, people work to take precautions. However, there have been few reported cases of the virus in the Dallas area.

“People do worry about it and it is something that I think is a problem,” school nurse Margot Boyd said.

Many towns and communities have become vigilant about spraying the air to kill possible disease-ridden insects.

While West Nile is often unknowingly contracted and roughly 20% of people actually show symptoms, the virus and it’s possibilities often make communities uneasy.

However, despite the mounting anxiety, West Nile has proven to be a small conflict within the metroplex area. While some cases have been reported, the number does not appear to be substantial, according to Boyd.

“We don’t have huge cases, and people rarely notice when they contract [the virus],” Boyd said.

With the measures taken, West Nile has been subdued to a less threatening stance.

Despite the awareness raised for this particular virus, there is another illness contracted by mosquitoes that has recently been brought to attention. The virus is referred to as “Chikungunya”, a disease caused by Asian Tiger mosquitoes. These insects have made themselves more prominent on the U.S. coasts in recent years.

Since these mosquitoes have recently more abundant, people have become more aware of the plight.

“These mosquitoes bite all day and all night, and I definitely think we will see more of this in the future,” Boyd said.