First death of 2022 from West Nile virus in NC reported in Cumberland County

The first death of a North Carolinian from West Nile virus this year was of an individual in Cumberland County, according to the county health department.

As of Monday, there were two other confirmed cases of the mosquito-borne virus in the county, the Cumberland County Health Department said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus is most commonly spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. Cases of WNV occur during mosquito season, which starts in the summer and continues through fall. There are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat West Nile in people. Most people infected do not feel sick but about 1 in 5 develop a fever and other symptoms.

In about 1% of cases, West Nile virus can cause more serious conditions, including encephalitis, meningitis and meningoencephalitis, and possibly death.

Further details about the person who died were not released.

To reduce the risk of contracting the virus people are urged to use insect repellent, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants to prevent mosquito bites and dump out standing water.

“We encourage the proper usage of repellents to reduce mosquito populations, particularly between the months of August through October, but you can still enjoy the outdoors,” said Dr. Jennifer Green, Cumberland County Health Director.

For more information, call 910-433-3707 or visit the Cumberland County Health Department online at cumberlandcountync.gov/departments/public-health, the North Carolina Health and Human Services webpage at epi.publichealth.nc.gov/cd/arbo/prevent.html or the CDC’s webpage at http://www.cdc.gov/westnile/faq/repellent.html.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: First death of 2022 from West Nile virus in NC reported in Cumberland County