CALDWELL — A Canyon County man in his 50s has tested positive for West Nile virus, health officials announced on Thursday.
The Southwest District Health Department said that the man lives in Canyon County, but may have been exposed in Adams County as well.
The man - who is the first confirmed human case of West Nile in Idaho this year - fell ill but has since recovered, SWDH spokesperson Katrina Williams told KTVB.
West Nile virus is a potentially serious illness that is usually spread to animals and humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. It does not spread from person-to-person.
Several mosquito traps in Canyon County have tested positive for the virus this season, including one collected on July 20 in the Roswell Marsh area off Highway 18 near the Idaho-Oregon border.
Officials are cautioning anyone doing outdoor activity west of Caldwell. This area appears to be the center of elevated numbers of potentially disease-carrying mosquitoes.
Most people infected with the virus do not show symptoms, although more severe symptoms may occur, including fever, headaches, body aches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash.
Health officials urge people to use caution outdoors, especially between dusk and dawn when the mosquitoes are most active. Preventative measures include wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and using mosquito repellant containing an EPA-registered active ingredient, such as DEET or Picaridin.
For more information on West Nile Virus and how to protect yourself from it, click here.
