First case of Nevadan with West Nile detected

Thursday, July 28, 2005 | 10:48 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- The first case of a human infected with West Nile virus in Nevada this year has been detected, the state Health Division said Wednesday.

An individual, under the age of 50 who lives in Lyon County, has a severe form of the disease, whose symptoms can include high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors and muscle weakness, the division said.

The division said it would not release additional information on whether the victim is a man or woman, the age or whether the individual is in the hospital. It said it is bound by privacy regulations.

There were 49 confirmed cases in Nevada last year. The virus most often is spread by the bite from an infected mosquito.

State Health Officer Dr. Bradford Lee said the virus has been detected in mosquito pools, birds and one horse in Lyon County and a bird in Elko County.

Lee said the new victim was bitten several times and was "in the wrong place at the wrong time."

The Washoe County Health Department on Tuesday also said that testing of a pool of mosquitoes off the Pyramid Lake Highway northeast of Reno has revealed they are infected with the virus.