DENVER — A Denver resident is recovering after being infected with West Nile virus. This is Denver's first human case of West Nile Virus this year, according to a Friday release from the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment. A department spokesperson said the individual was hospitalized and has been discharged.
August and September are when most West Nile virus cases are diagnosed in Colorado, the release said, but cases can show up as early as May and as late as December. Last year, Colorado recorded more West Nile virus cases than any other state in the U.S.
Health officials are asking residents to take measures to prevent the virus, which is most commonly transmitted to humans from the bite of an infected mosquito. The department shared the following recommendations: Stop mosquitoes from laying eggs in or near water on your property. Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out items that hold water, such as tires, buckets, planters, toys, wheelbarrows, pools, birdbaths, flowerpots, or trash containers.
Check for water-holding containers both indoors and outdoors. Do not water your cement or the street. It can result in pools that support larval mosquitoes.
If you are making landscape decisions, consider ways to minimize overspray of irrigation to streets and gutters. Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents with DEET. When used as directed, EPA-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective, even fo.