Washington gets first two confirmed human cases of West Nile - The Seattle Times

The state Health Department has confirmed this year's first human cases of West Nile virus infection in Washington, echoing a national trend of the mosquito-borne disease that is worrying many health officials.

While the two confirmed cases are not close to the state record of 38, set in 2009, they are the first since 2010, when two occurred.

Nationwide, nearly 2,000 human cases of West Nile have been confirmed in 41 states this year and many more have probably gone unreported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Both local victims, a Pierce County woman in her 70s and a Yakima man in his 30s, are recovering at home after being released from hospitals, health officials said. The woman probably was exposed to the virus while traveling out of state.

A horse in Eastern Washington was euthanized last month after being diagnosed with West Nile, officials added. And five mosquito samples in Benton and Franklin counties have tested positive for the infection.

Officials warned that West Nile is a potentially dangerous illness residents should protect themselves against.

"This can be a very serious illness for many people, and people over the age of 50 seem to be especially vulnerable to it," said Donn Moyer, a health-department spokesman.

A West Nile virus infection can cause meningitis or encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), officials said.

Symptoms can include fever, neck stiffness, disorientation, muscle weakness, paralysis and coma.

Residents can reduce their exposure to the infection by wearing insect repellent, staying indoors around dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active and removing standing water from around their homes.

Only one Washington resident is believed to have died from West Nile since it arrived in the state in 2006. That was in 2009.

But just this year in other states, some 90 people have died from the infection, according to the CDC. Nearly half of reported deaths and cases have been in Texas.

Moyer speculated the country is suffering more from West Nile this year because of a mild winter, wet spring and hot summer.

Brian M. Rosenthal: 206-464-3195 or brosenthal@seattletimes.com.

On Twitter @brianmrosenthal.