SARASOTA - The second person to contract West Nile virus in Florida this year was recovering under a doctor's care, health officials said.
Officials said Friday they had confirmed the mosquito-borne illness in a 72-year-old man. The first person infected was hospitalized briefly in late May and is now recovering at home, said Ruth Dearman, epidemiology director for the Sarasota County Health Department.
Both county residents had traveled to states where West Nile infections had been reported, state Health Department spokeswoman Lindsay Hodges said Saturday.
County health officials said residents should remember that mosquitoes are prevalent during the summer rainy season and that everyone should cover their skin when outdoors at dusk and dawn. The virus can also be spread through blood transfusions from infected people.
Health officials said the virus typically causes flu-like symptoms such as fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches. But in some cases, it progresses to life-threatening encephalitis or meningitis.
There were 94 reported cases of West Nile virus in Florida in 2003, according the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Six people died.
Nationally, there were 9,862 reported cases last year and 264 deaths.
