State health officials confirm a second human case of West Nile Virus in Delaware this year.
A 68-year-old New Castle County man was hospitalized in July with West Nile Virus, and remains in the hospital for unrelated issues.
He is the second Delawarean to catch the Mosquito-borne illness this year. The other was a 60-year-old Sussex man earlier this month.
Last year, one woman from Kent County contracted West Nile Virus. She was the first Delawarean to do so in two years.
Additionally, the state’s Mosquito Control Section is reporting an increase of West Nile in wild birds and sentinel chickens.
The agency also found a sentinel chicken in Sussex County with Eastern equine encephalitis earlier this month. EEE is more severe and rarer than West Nile. It can be harmful to both people and horses.
The Delaware Division of Public Health urges residents to eliminate standing water on their properties in order to reduce mosquito breeding habitat. And to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites when outside.
Symptoms of severe West Nile Virus can include headache, high fever and muscle weakness. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek medical help immediately as the infection can lead to death.
