TARRANT COUNTY, Texas — Tarrant County has confirmed its first human case of West Nile virus for the 2026 season, according to infectious disease specialist Dr. Ed Dominguez.
West Nile virus symptoms and long-term risks
Dominguez said 20% of people who contract West Nile virus following an infected mosquito bite experience symptoms including headache, fever, gastrointestinal upset, body aches and occasionally a rash. He said those symptoms typically appear two to 10 days after a mosquito bite, and that the majority of people who are bitten will not get sick.
For those who develop severe West Nile disease, Dominguez said long-term complications can emerge months to years later, including fatigue, muscle weakness, muscle pain, memory loss and depression.
“It sounds and looks like chronic fatigue syndrome or long Covid, and it’s difficult to manage,” Dominguez said.
Health experts warn against ‘tan maxing’ trend
Dominguez also addressed a trend health experts are calling “tan maxing,” in which people intentionally expose themselves to ultraviolet radiation without sunscreen in an attempt to achieve a deeper tan.
“This is a horrible idea for sure,” Dominguez said. He said the primary concern is skin cancer, particularly melanoma, which he described as the deadliest form of skin cancer. He said the practice can also lead to accelerated aging and DNA damage, and that people who engage in it may appear 10 to 15 years older than they otherwise would.
“There really is no safe way to tan using ultraviolet radiation,” Dominguez said, recommending self-tanning lotions and spray tans as safer alternatives.
New study links early sugar limits to reduced Alzheimer’s risk
Dominguez discussed a new study showing that limiting sugar intake early in life could reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. He said the study found the odds of developing Alzheimer’s were reduced by approximately 46%. He said the study also found reduced rates of depression, anxiety and non-Alzheimer’s dementia — down roughly 20% to 30% — among those with early sugar restrictions.
Dominguez said the critical window is the first 1,000 days of life, roughly the first three years, during which limiting sugar intake for infants is most impactful.
He cautioned that the research is an observational study and not a large-scale scientific study, but said it provides enough information to support larger, longer studies to determine whether early sugar limits should be more broadly recommended.
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