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WASHINGTON (AP) — District of Columbia health officials say they have confirmed the city's first case of West Nile virus this year.
D.C. Department of Health officials say they have been closely monitoring a D.C. resident. The person has been released from a local hospital and is recovering.
The virus is most commonly spread by infected mosquitoes. Officials say there has been a human case of West Nile virus in each of the last three years.
Health officials urge residents to take protective measures against mosquito bites during the summer. Preventive measures include wearing protective clothing, applying insect repellents and eliminating standing water where mosquitoes breed.
About one in five people who are infected show symptoms, such as headache, body ache, diarrhea or rash. In rare cases, the virus can cause neurologic illnesses.
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