Tagged: west nile virus

A central Kentucky health official says a case of human West Nile virus has been confirmed in Bourbon County.

Bourbon County Health Department Director Tom Skeen told the Lexington Herald-Leader it's thought that the person contracted the mosquito-borne illness out of state, although he didn't believe it was in Texas.

That state has reported 1,225 cases and 50 deaths as of last week, the largest outbreak in years.  Many of the cases are in the Dallas area.

Indiana health officials say the West Nile virus has been confirmed among mosquitoes in the state weeks earlier than last year.

The State Department of Health says tests found the virus in mosquitoes in southern Indiana's Orange County, which is northwest of Louisville.

The department says the virus wasn't confirmed in the insects until mid-July last year, and it's impossible to predict whether that will mean greater severity of illnesses in people because rainfall and temperatures this summer will affect the number of mosquitoes.