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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have reported 2016's first confirmed human cases of West Nile virus in Iowa.
The Iowa Public Health Department said in a news release Wednesday that a female child and an adult male in Sioux County were hospitalized but are recovering.
The department says about 20 percent of people infected with West Nile virus will have mild to moderate symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches and vomiting. Less than 1 percent become seriously ill.
Experts say people can reduce their risk of exposure to mosquitoes carrying the virus by using repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus and avoid outdoor activities at dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
The department says the last two Iowa deaths caused by West Nile virus occurred in 2010.
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