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PROVO — Utah County Health Department officials confirmed Thursday that a human case of West Nile Virus was reported in Utah County.
It’s the first human case of the virus reported in the state and the county's first reported case this year. Aislynn Tolman-Hill, Utah County Health Department spokeswoman, said it wasn’t immediately known if the individual contracted the virus in the county or elsewhere while traveling.
"It's entirely possible that it was not (contracted) in Utah County or even in Utah," she said. "The individual was traveling during the time they could have picked up West Nile virus, so it's entirely possible they were bitten by a mosquito outside of the state."
The virus has already been detected in mosquitoes in four other counties in the state this summer. Mosquitoes found near Hyrum State Park in Cache County tested positive for the virus, Hyrum City officials said on Saturday.
Logan city officials announced that mosquitos there tested positive for West Nile virus on Aug. 6. Mosquitos carrying the virus were also found in Box Elder, Davis and Uintah counties in July.
However, it wasn't until Thursday that a human case was reported, which Tolman-Hill said was unusual. She said there were 17 human cases in 2017, including seven in Utah County.
"It's unusual, actually, that we haven't had cases up to this point," she said. "It's possible there's a linkage between having quite low water — that's a very good possibility."
Tolman-Hill said many people who contract the disease don't experience symptoms. For those who do, symptoms can be mild to severe. In Aug. 2017, Hillcrest High School football coach Cazzie Brown died from complications related from the virus.
"In some cases, it can become quite neuro-invasive and cause some neurological problems," she explained. "What we typically see is fever, headache, body aches — typically you're going to see that within three to 14 days from being bitten by a mosquito that's carrying the virus."
Stiff neck, convulsion and tremors can also be experienced, she added. She encouraged anyone experiencing those symptoms to seek their health care provider.
Health officials urged people to use precautionary measures to avoid the virus, including using insect repellent and wearing long sleeves and pants while outside.
Contributing: Nick Wyatt, KSL Newsradio
