West Nile Virus Claims Hoosier Life

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(UNDATED) - State health officials reported the death of an individual in Floyd County from West Nile Virus. This is the first West Nile Virus death in 2007.

The State Health Department also announced two new human cases of West Nile Virus: one each in Lake and Vanderburgh counties. This brings the total human cases in Indiana to 10 for this year. To date, 22 counties in the state have positive test results for the virus.

West Nile Virus is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes that have first bitten an infected bird. A person bitten by an infected mosquito may show symptoms from three to 15 days after the bite.

Health officials warn that although individuals age 50 and over are at greatest risk for serious illness and possibly death from the West Nile Virus, people of all ages have been infected with the virus and have had severe health problems.

The virus usually causes West Nile fever, a milder form of the illness, which can include fever, headache, body aches, swollen lymph glands, or a rash. However, a small number of individuals can develop a more severe form of the disease with encephalitis or meningitis and other neurological syndromes.

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