Oakland County resident dead due to complications from West Nile virus

A Grand County man has been diagnosed with West Nile virus, according to the Southeast Utah Health Department.

The next year, 2003, 19 cases were recorded in Michigan, and two deaths occurred, both in Oakland County. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of Tuesday, 47 USA states and the District of Columbia had reported the West Nile virus in people, birds or mosquitoes since January 1, 2015.

Until the weather cools down, people can still get infected with the virus, 24-Hour News 8’s news partners at The Daily Journal report.

WNV season typically lasts through October and is transmitted to humans and animals through a mosquito bite.

George Miller is the Director of Oakland County’s Department of Health and Human Services.

Information on where in Oakland County the victim lived isn’t being released, Miller said, and has no bearing on the warning due to the area a mosquito can cover.

Those most susceptible to West Nile are senior citizens and anyone in the commmunity who is immune compromised. Earlier this month, Michigan health officials identified the state’s first confirmed human cases of West Nile Virus for 2015 in Macomb, Monroe, and Ottawa counties.

Steve Todd, Health Officer for the agency, says the positive birds mean that people living in the 3 counties need to be more vigilant in their personal protective measures to prevent mosquito bites.

DRAIN standing water on your property so mosquitoes won’t breed.