PINAL COUNTY, Ariz. — A person tested positive for the West Nile virus for the first time in Pinal County this year, health officials announced on Wednesday.
The case was confirmed in a Pinal County resident on Tuesday, but their identity or where the infection happened weren't released.
Pinal County health officials said most people don’t get sick from the virus but may show mild symptoms like headache, fever, muscle and joint aches, nausea, and fatigue.
In rare cases, West Nile can affect a person’s nervous system. People over 60 or those with chronic illnesses are at greater risk.
West Nile is transmitted by mosquitos every year across the U.S., and the pests are most active across Arizona during monsoon months.
Arizona has seen heavy rain this year, and mosquitoes and other toxic or disease-carrying insects and animals have become more common in recent months.
West Nile was first reported in the U.S. in 1999 and detected in Arizona in 2003.
Health officials explained that 12 positive cases and another 12 probable cases were reported in Pinal Couty since 2016.
Here are some tips to keep mosquitos away from you:
- WEAR long sleeves and pants. Create a barrier to mosquito bites by covering up
- APPLY insect repellent. Use EPA-registered repellents such as those containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone
- REMOVE standing water. Emptying water that accumulates in toys, tires, trash cans, buckets, clogged rain gutters, and plant pots will deny mosquitoes a place to lay their eggs and reproduce
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