L.A. County far outpaces us in West Nile cases

From VC Star
October 28, 2017

While Ventura County has seen only one human case of West Nile virus this year, neighboring Los Angeles County has seen more than 200 cases, with 17 deaths.

Dr. Robert Levin, Ventura County public health officer, said the one local human case of the mosquito-carried illness occurred in west Ventura County, declining to be more specific. News of the case emerged Tuesday.

Three birds in Ventura County have tested positive for the virus this year, with the Ventura County Environmental Health Division learning results from the latest one on Thursday. The bird was collected from the Simi Valley area during the second week of October.

Mosquitoes caught on three separate occasions this year in Ventura County also have tested positive, officials said.

The virus can affect humans, birds and horses. Most humans who contract the virus are asymptomatic, while some exhibit fever, headaches, nausea and vomiting. One out of every 150 become seriously ill, however, with such maladies as meningitis, vision, loss, coma and paralysis.

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