West Nile Death Mark's County's First of the Season

A San Gabriel Valley man who died this month was confirmed today as the first death in Los Angeles County this year due to West Nile virus.

According to the county Department of Public Health, the man had pre- existing health conditions, was hospitalized in late August and died this month.

County officials said there have been 18 human cases of West Nile virus so far this season, but this is the first death.

“Mosquitoes are the primary pathway to human infection with West Nile virus and we are entering the period of increased transmission,” said Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, the county’s interim health officer. “West Nile can appear anywhere in Los Angeles County and we are urging people to take a few simple precautions that can greatly reduce the risk of mosquito bites. These precautions include getting rid of pools of stagnant water around your home and using a repellent containing DEET when outdoors in mosquito-prone areas, especially around dawn or dusk.”

In 2014, there were 218 human cases of West Nile virus in Los Angeles County, the most since 2004.

News of the first death this year came on the same day that the city of Long Beach -- which has its own health department and operates separately from the county Department of Public Health -- announced its first human case of the virus.

City News Service