BURLINGTON, Vt. -
The Vermont Health Department says preliminary lab results indicate a patient from Chittenden County has West Nile virus. If the case is confirmed by further testing, it will be the first human case of West Nile virus in Vermont this year.
The patient is currently hospitalized.
Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Harry Chen said, "This is a good reminder that precautions should be taken statewide to avoid exposure to mosquito bites, not just in Addison and Rutland counties, but statewide."
The last human case of West Nile virus in Vermont was in 2003. The disease is spread by infected mosquitoes. It's not as rare or deadly as Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), but up to 20 percent of people bitten will develop symptoms including fever, head and body aches, nausea and vomiting. About one in 150 people infected will develop severe illness, which can be fatal.
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