From the Turlock Journal
July 26, 2019
Health officials reported Wednesday that an area woman diagnosed with a neuroinvasive form of West Nile Virus is the first confirmed human case of the disease in Stanislaus County this season.
The first mosquitoes of the season tested positive for West Nile virus on July 9, the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency reported.
The California Department of Public Health has found West Nile Virus in 21 counties in the state, including two human cases, which does not take into count the recent diagnosis for the Stanislaus County woman. The state has seen one death from the virus this year.
Mosquitoes become infected with West Nile Virus when they feed on infected birds. Infected mosquitoes can then spread West Nile Virus to humans and other animals when they bite, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Approximately 1 in 5 people who are infected with West Nile virus will develop symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. Less than 1 percent will develop a serious neurologic illness such as encephalitis or meningitis (inflammation of the brain or surrounding tissues). About 10 percent of people who develop neurologic infection due to West Nile virus will die, according to the CDC. People over 50 years of age and those with certain medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, and organ transplants, are at greater risk for serious illness.