A 53-year-old in northern Colorado died after contracting West Nile virus, marking the state’s first death from the virus this year, Weld County officials announced Friday.
As of Friday afternoon, Colorado health officials have documented 12 cases of the mosquito-borne virus and three hospitalizations from the virus so far in 2023, according to data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Larimer and Weld county officials have documented three cases each, while Boulder, Adams, Arapahoe, El Paso, Delta and La Plata counties have each documented one case.
Additionally, West Nile virus has been found in mosquitoes in eight of the 11 counties that have tested mosquitoes this season, including Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Delta, Denver, Larimer, Pueblo and Weld counties.
According to a Friday news release from the state health department, this is more cases than usual for this time of year.
“The trends we are seeing in our West Nile virus tracking data are unprecedented,” state epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy said in the release. “The number of West Nile virus-infected mosquitoes we’ve detected this season is the highest we’ve seen in years. This is especially concerning now that August is here and September is just around the corner, as this is usually when human cases peak in Colorado.”
The resident was hospitalized and died from neuroinvasive symptoms, a rare complication of the disease, according to information from the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Colorado had the most West Nile cases in the country last year with 204 cases and 18 deaths from the virus. In 2021, Colorado had the second most cases of any state.
Only 20% of people bitten by mosquitoes carrying the virus will develop symptoms — including fever, headaches, body aches, skin rashes and swollen lymph glands, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
While most people infected with the virus don’t get sick, symptoms for those who do appear between two and 14 days after infection.
About one in 150 people who are infected develop a severe illness or life-threatening symptoms, including high fevers, tremors and convulsions, muscle weakness, paralysis and inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.
Less than 1% of people with West Nile cases die, according to the CDC.
According to a Friday news release from Weld County, eight investigations of West Nile in county residents have been conducted. The residents who tested positive are not just from one area — the virus can be contracted from any place infected mosquitos live and breed.
As the mosquito season continues, health department investigators anticipate increased human infections.
In the release, health officials advised residents to drain standing water weekly, limit outdoor activities around dusk and dawn, dress in long sleeves and pants in areas where mosquitos are active and use DEET-based insect repellents.
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