KENT COUNTY, Mich. - The Kent County resident who contracted West Nile Virus just a week previously has died.
The Kent County Health Department said the resident was a man in his 80s, and he was the first reported hospitalization due to West Nile in the county.
KCHD wants to again remind residents to take precautions by wearing bug spray that contains DEET and to drain any standing water where mosquitos can breed. The health department has found a 400 percent increase in the number of mosquitoes that transmit the disease.
Ahead of Labor Day weekend, it is also important to note that mosquito activity is highest at dusk and dawn.
"Only about 20 percent of the people infected will notice symptoms that may include headache, body aches, joint pains and fatigue," according to KCHD press release. "Most people with this type of West Nile virus completely recover."
However, it can develop into a severe illness and cause permanent damage to a person's central nervous system.
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