Trapped mosquitoes are testing positive for the West Nile virus at some of the highest levels ever seen in the state. An elderly woman has become the first person in San Joaquin County this year to test positive for the virus.
Three people infected with West Nile Virus showed up in Los Angeles, Fresno, and Yuba Counties last week, which now brings the number to four this year in California.
The woman, who is in her late 60s, is being treated in the hospital.
San Joaquin County Assistant Health Officer Dr. Julie Vaishampayan says symptoms can often resemble the flu.
“It’s an encephalitic, so inflammation of the brain tissue itself so then they usually have headaches, high fever, neck stiffness, somewhat disoriented, symptoms like that,” says Vaishampayan.
She says the symptoms appear in one of out of five people infected.
California had almost 800 human cases last year with a record 53 deaths.
Health officials remind people that with National Night Out Tuesday people should take precautions such as mosquito repellent when the insects are most active.
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