First human case of West Nile virus in Salt Lake County in 2023 confirmed
Sep 15, 2023, 1:01 PM
Todd Haskew, Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District vector control technician, collects a water sample from a mosquito source, looking for mosquito larvae, in Salt Lake City on Thursday, July 23, 2020. (Deseret News file photo)
(Deseret News file photo)
SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake County Health Department announced Friday that the first human case of West Nile virus in Salt Lake County has been confirmed, marking the fourth human case in Utah for 2023.
According to a press release from the SLCoHD, the infected person is an adult with a more severe form of the disease, called neuroinvasive West Nile virus. The person remains hospitalized.
“There are a growing number of mosquitoes carrying the disease, so it is now especially important that people protect themselves from mosquito bites, particularly in the hours from dusk to dawn,” wrote SLCoHD Executive Director Dr. Angela Dunn in the press release.
For those dusk to dawn hours, the Health Department recommended wearing long sleeves and pants. As an additional protection, the SLCoHD also recommends using EPA-registered mosquito repellent.
The Centers for Disease Control provides online resources to learn more about West Nile virus and how to prevent being bitten by mosquitoes.
