After confirming more than 120 cases of West Nile Virus and eight deaths due to the illness, the Dallas County is spraying mosquito repellents from the air.

Dallas County Health officials confirmed that authorities approved the aerial sprays on Friday following there meeting with state health officials and experts from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

It was the first time over the past five decades that authorities gave approval to aerial sprays. North Dallas, Highland Park, and University Park are experiencing the deadliest outbreak of West Nile Virus in the country this year. Authorities have declared the situation as a public health emergency.

Speaking on the topic, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said, “This is a matter of extreme concern, and we're going to follow the science and do what's best for our people.”

Residents of North Dallas, Highland Park, and University Park areas were advised to stay away from contact with the insecticide by remaining in their houses or traveling with their car windows closed.

There is currently no vaccine for the West Nile Virus, which spreads by infected mosquitoes. The condition’s symptoms include high fever, headache, nausea, disorientation, vomiting lack of appetite.