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» Mysteries remain  |  Fact vs. fiction  | West Nile 101  |  Special Report

CDC diagnoses first '05 West Nile case

Human infection in Kansas serves as reminder, official says

The virus was found in the U.S. in 1999.

SPECIAL REPORT

• Six years later, mysteries remain

• A North American fixture

• The animal connection

• Diseases beyond West Nile

• Map: March across U.S.

• Special Report

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Federal health authorities said Tuesday they have diagnosed the first human case of illness caused by the West Nile virus this year in the United States.

The case was reported by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The virus is transmitted during warm months by infected mosquitoes.

Since 1999, when the virus was first identified in the United States, it has caused nearly 17,000 cases of illness in people, more than 650 of them fatal.

Infection in birds, mosquitoes or horses has already been reported from 14 states this year.

"This season's first human case of West Nile virus reminds us of the importance of taking precautions to avoid becoming ill," said Dr. Lyle Petersen, director of CDC's Division of Vector-borne Infectious Diseases.

"It's impossible to predict what this year's season will hold," he said. "So everyone who spends time outdoors should take steps to protect themselves from mosquito bites and West Nile virus."

In 2004, human cases in the United States dipped to 2,470 with 88 deaths after previous years of big increases. Cases in 2003, for example, numbered nearly 10,000 with 264 deaths. But whether the downward trend will continue this season and into the future is still an unknown, according to researchers.

To avoid mosquitoes carrying West Nile, experts recommend wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants outside and fixing window and door screens so mosquitoes don't enter the house.

This year, the CDC expanded its recommendations of bug repellent to include those with the chemical picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus in addition to those containing DEET.

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