ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — Health experts are urging Coloradans to take precautions after the state's first human West Nile virus case of 2024 was confirmed in Arapahoe County. Arapahoe County Public Health said in a release Wednesday that officials are concerned about what mosquito activity may look like in the coming weeks as summer weather continues to get hotter with fewer cool nights and storms.
The release said the concern comes in part because Colorado doesn't typically see its first human case of West Nile virus until later in the summer. “While we know that West Nile virus is endemic to Colorado—meaning we expect to see some cases each year—we never quite know how many to expect or just how bad a season will be," said Melissa Adair, communicable disease epidemiology manager at Arapahoe County Public Health. "What this first case confirms for us, however, is that West Nile virus is present in our mosquito population, and as mosquito numbers increase, the risk of West Nile virus will, too.
We’re encouraging all Arapahoe County residents to take precautions now, before we see mosquitoes and illness increase this season.” Last year was Colorado's worst for West Nile virus in 20 years, according to the release, with 631 cases spanning 40 counties, including 383 hospitalizations and 50 deaths. Arapahoe County alone had 56 cases.
Symptoms of West Nile virus usually appear 2-14 days after exposure, with one in five people developing fever, body aches, headache and .
