Home HEALTH Health officials: Ogden resident tests positive for West Nile Virus, remains hospitalized – Standard-Examiner

Health officials: Ogden resident tests positive for West Nile Virus, remains hospitalized – Standard-Examiner

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Health officials: Ogden resident tests positive for West Nile Virus, remains hospitalized – Standard-Examiner

OGDEN — Officials say an Ogden resident has tested positive for West Nile Virus, a disease spread by mosquitos.

The Weber-Morgan Health Department said in a press release Friday afternoon that the individual, who was not identified by health officials due to medical privacy laws, tested positive for the virus.

The individual remains hospitalized with a “neuroinvasive form of the mosquito-borne disease,” the release states.

Health officials are urging members of the public to take preventative measures to ward off mosquitos and potential bites.

“With school starting and this late in the season, it’s easy to let your guard down but we need people to be mindful that West Nile Virus is part of our environment. As long as we have warm temperatures, the mosquitoes will keep breeding and biting,” Amy Carter, a communicable disease nurse for the Weber-Morgan Health Department, said in the press release.

West Nile Virus can cause a mild to severe sickness, with some mild symptoms could be fever, headaches and body aches. For more severe infections, symptoms could include high fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, tremors and muscle weakness or convulsions, according to health officials.

While contracting a neuroinvasive disease is rare, the infection could result in long-term health issues or even death. Those over the age of 50 or people with weakened immune system have the greatest risk to contract the virus.

In August, health officials found four separate mosquito traps around Weber County that had tested positive for West Nile.

While outside, people should wear long sleeves and pants, and use mosquito repellant with DEET or Picaridin to avoid being bitten.

In 2018, two cases of West Nile Virus in humans were reported in Box Elder County.

Jacob Scholl is the Cops and Courts Reporter for the Standard-Examiner. Email him at jscholl@standard.net and follow him on Twitter at @Jacob_Scholl.

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