Conner said she never expected West Nile to be an issue for her family.

"We were just the most unlikely people that it could happen to," Conner said. "We weren't by standing water, and the kids weren't outside."

Amara Durham, a spokeswoman for Caron Texas, an alcohol and drug rehabilitation center north of Dallas, says she has a close friend who is now affected by the virus.

"I am no longer cavalier about this," Durham said.

The center where she works is also taking precautions with its patients, she said.

"We've adjusted our schedules so that patients aren't out at dawn or dusk," Durham said. "We're providing appropriate mosquito repellent. We're telling our patients what ... to wear to avoid being bitten. We're suspending activities near our lake.

"We've done a lot for preventative measures as a business within a community impacted by it."