Four more Mesa County residents contract West Nile

By Staff
Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Four more people have confirmed cases of West Nile virus in Mesa County, bringing the total number to six affected people, according to the Mesa County Health Department.

Demographics of those with the West Nile virus include one female and five males. All of the people who have contracted the virus are between the ages of 20 and 51.

One of those people has meningitis while the other five have West Nile fever, the health department said.

Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, tiredness, and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands. An estimated 1 in 150 people with West Nile virus will develop a more severe form of the disease, such as encephalitis and meningitis.

Illness can occur in people of any age, but those more than 50 years old or with compromised immune systems are at higher risk of getting severely ill after contracting West Nile virus.

For more information, visit the Mesa County Health Department website at http://www.health.mesacounty.us.