INDIANA

73-year old Louisville man dies of West Nile

Madeleine Winer, Courier-Journal
The mosquito that carries the virus - Aedes aegypti - has a range of some 30 states including Kentucky and southern Indiana. It is a small black mosquito that swarms around ankles and bites mostly during the day, officials said.

The Cabinet for Health and Family services confirmed Wednesday that a 73-year-old Louisville man died from the West Nile Virus. 

Beth Fisher, spokeswoman for the cabinet, said this is the first death from West Nile reported in the state this year. 

Jefferson County typically reports a few cases of West Nile Virus each year with most occurring during the late summer and early fall, according to the state health department. 

Earlier this week, the Clark County Health Department identified two samples of mosquitoes infected with the West Nile Virus in Charlestown and Jeffersonville.

Symptoms may include a slight fever or headache, possibly with skin rash and swollen lymph glands, according to The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services website. 

The cabinet advises people to wear bug repellent and protective clothing outdoors and staying indoors at dawn, dusk and early evening when mosquitoes are most active.

Madeleine Winer is the Southern Indiana communities reporter for the Courier-Journal. Contact her at mrwiner@courier-journal.com.

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