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First Human Case Of West Nile Virus Reported For 2021 In LA County

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- The first human case of West Nile Virus has been reported in Los Angeles County for this year, public health officials said on Tuesday.

A resident of the South Bay area was sent to the hospital with West Nile Virus (WNV) fever in late July and is recovering.

Cases of WNV, which is the leading cause of mosquito-borne illnesses in the continental U.S. according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, occur during mosquito season from the summer through fall.

Most people with WNV will not develop any symptoms, but about one in 5 people who are infected will develop a fever. About one out of 150 infected people develop a potentially fatal illness.

WNV risk can be reduced by wearing insect repellant and long-sleeved shirts to percent mosquito bites.

Residents are also urged to take steps to prevent mosquitos indoors and outdoors by using screens on windows and doors and emptying standing water to stop mosquitoes from laying eggs near residences.

No further information was available about where the person was bitten by the infected mosquito, but residents across SoCal are continuously encouraged to take precautions.

For more information on WNV, visit http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/westnile.

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