State officials say a second human case of West Nile virus has been diagnosed in Iowa this year. Earlier this week, officials announced a young boy from Pocahontas County had contracted the virus. Now, tests confirm an elderly man from Lyon County has West Nile. Public health surveillance indicates the West Nile virus is present in at least 15 Iowa counties. Those 15 counties are scattered throughout the state, and health officials say that means you can probably contract West Nile statewide. The state’s epidemiologist urges Iowans to wear mosquito repellent when you’re outdoors, and cautions that this is the “high season” for mosquito-borne illnesses like West Nile.
