Lake County man infected with West Nile virus (w/video)

Lake County officials this week reported the first human case of West Nile virus there since 2012. It’s also the first human case of the mosquito-borne disease reported this year on the North Coast, according to the state’s West Nile virus website.

Statewide, at least 19 other people in eight other counties have contracted the disease this year, according to the state figures, which were last updated on Wednesday. The website does not yet include Lake County’s case, which has yet to be officially confirmed.

This is Lake County’s fifth human infection since 2004. None resulted in death, and the current patient, a man between 50 and 65, is recovering, Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait said. The man spent a great deal of time outdoors in multiple areas of the county, so it’s unclear where he might have contracted the disease, she said.

About one in 150 infected people will develop severe illness, including permanent neurological damage, she said. About 80 percent of infected people have no symptoms. Others may develop mild symptoms, including fever, headache, body aches, nausea, rashes, swollen lymph nodes and vomiting.

The virus also has been found in 18 mosquito samples and five dead birds in Lake County this year, the Lake County Vector Control District reported. Eight dead birds and two pools of mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus in Sonoma County, according to the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District.

District Manager Jamesina Scott said West Nile activity is up from last year, largely due to the weather.

“With the hot days and nighttime lows in the upper 60s, conditions are perfect for the virus to continue multiplying,” she said. Mosquitoes also develop faster when it’s hot, Scott said.

That makes it especially important for people to eliminate any standing water, treat it with larvicides or add mosquito-eating fish, she said.

People also should wear protective clothing and insect repellent when outdoors and make sure their homes’ screens are in good repair, she said.

Additional information about prevention and the virus can be found at westnile.ca.gov.

You can reach Staff Writer Glenda Anderson at 462-6473 or glenda.anderson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter ?@MendoReporter.