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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Southern Utah health officials say they've confirmed the state's first human case of West Nile Virus this year.
The Southwest Utah Public Health Department announced Wednesday that the virus was reported in Washington County. The area also had the state's first confirmed case of West Nile virus in a horse.
State epidemiologist Jodie Baker says the patient, who is over the age of 60, was hospitalized but is now back home.
Health department officials say anyone bitten by an infected mosquito can contract the disease, though most people infected with the virus won't experience symptoms.
Symptoms can include fever, fatigue, aches and rash.
The health department says residents can protect themselves by wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors, avoiding mosquito-infested areas and emptying any standing water on their property.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) 8/21/2013 10:56:04 AM (GMT -6:00)
