By Bill Raack, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – St. Louis County has its first human case of west Nile virus this year.
A 37 year-old North County man was hospitalized last week for the mosquito-borne virus but is recovering. Birds are infected with West Nile and the disease is then spread to humans through mosquitoes.
Dr. Mike Williams, with the county health department, says only about 20% of those infected show any symptoms of the virus. "Most of that 20% have kind of flu-like illness, aches and pains, muscle aches, body aches.
"And so they know they're sick but it's not often sick enough to send them to see a doctor," he added
There have been seven other human cases of West Nile in Missouri this year. Health officials are advising residents to prevent their exposure to mosquitoes for the remainder of the summer.