West Nile Virus has struck for the first time in El Paso County this year. An otherwise healthy adult contracted the mosquito-borne illness last month, and has since been hospitalized.

West Nile was first reported in 2003, this is the first confirmed case in the county. There have been 127 documented cases of West Nile in El Paso County over the last nine years, and one death.

A spokesman for El Paso County Public Health, Dr. Bill Letson, said that locals need to take greater care to prevent exposure to mosquitoes.

“It’s important that people take action to protect themselves from potentially serious illness associated with West Nile Virus,” Letson said in a statement. “Individuals who cannot avoid being outside during dawn and dusk need to take greater precautions to prevent mosquito bites.”

West Nile, which can incubate for up to two weeks, often appears as fever, meningitis and encephalitis. The last two, which are the most severe symptoms, will attack the central nervous system and can be debilitating  or fatal.

Only about 1 percent of those who come down with West Nile get symptoms that severe, though. The vast majority who contract the virus recover quickly.

Symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, body aches, neck stiffness, skin rash and muscle weakness. Those who get severe headaches or confusion should talk to a doctor immediately.

El Paso County Public Health recommends the following precautions at dusk and dawn, which is when mosquitoes are most active:

Wear insect repellant with DEET.

Dress in pants and long sleeves outdoors when possible.

Drain standing water outside in tires, flower pots and the like.

Treat standing water such as small ponds and livestock tanks with microbial larvicide “doughnuts,” which can be purchased in hardware stores.

For more information, check www.elpasocountyhealth.org.

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