A western Iowa man has died of the West Nile virus according to state public health officials. The man who died this month of West Nile was elderly. Health officials say the very young and very old, plus people who are ill are most vulnerable if they contract the disease.
According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, this is the first West Nile death in Iowa in 2008. Eight Iowans have been diagnosed with West Nile this year. The state’s medical director says the number of Iowans infected with West Nile virus tends to increase in September and sometimes into October if the weather stays nice.
So, until the state’s first hard frost, there’s a risk of getting bitten by a mosquito bearing the West Nile virus.