This 2006 file photo provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a female Aedes aegypti mosquito in the process of acquiring a blood meal from a human host. A study published Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022, in the journal Cell, finds that certain people really are “mosquito magnets” who get bitten more than others — and it probably has to do with the way they smell. (James Gathany/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP, File)
SAN JOSE – A Santa Clara County resident died from West Nile Virus after a long illness, according to the Public Health Department.
While the death was recorded in the county, the person contracted the virus elsewhere in the greater Bay Area, the department said in a statement posted to its webpage Wednesday.
The department said it could not release any other information about the person’s illness for reasons of medical privacy.
The virus is transmitted by mosquitoes. Most people who contract it have mild or no symptoms, but some may develop serious complications, according to the department. Each year, more than 100 people in the United States die from these complications.
The department said the insects thrive in warm weather, and the risk of humans contracting West Nile Virus in the Bay Area declines as the weather cools each fall.
Residents can help prevent the spread of mosquitoes that carry diseases by removing sources of standing water, which they need to reproduce, according to the department.
Check back for updates.
Originally published at Jason Green