1st West Nile virus detection of year in Michigan
7/2/2014SAGINAW, Mich. — Michigan health officials say they’ve confirmed the presence of mosquitoes with the West Nile virus for the first time this season.
The Michigan Department of Community Health reported today that tests confirmed the presence of the virus in a mosquito pool in Saginaw County in mid-June.
The department says that the virus killed two people and caused 34 serious illnesses in the state in 2013. The National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that it knows of 2,469 West Nile virus cases and 119 deaths in the U.S. last year.
The disease can cause serious neurological illnesses, such as meningitis and encephalitis. Its symptoms include high fever, confusion, muscles weakness and a severe headache.