Montgomery County confirms first West Nile virus-related death
A Culex pipien mosquito specimen in the insect collection at the Field Museum shows the type of mosquito that carries the West Nile virus. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas - A day after Montgomery County officials confirmed their first case of the West Nile virus in 2022, the patient who contracted it died.
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Health officials said in a press statement Wednesday a man in his 70s contracted the virus and was seeking treatment at a hospital. On Thursday, the man tragically died at the hospital.
His identity was not released but was the first case of West Nile for this year. In 2021, Montgomery County Public Health District (MCPHD) confirmed two total cases of the virus.
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"West Nile virus can cause serious disease and is most commonly spread by infected mosquitoes," MPCHD said in a press statement. "People typically develop symptoms between 3 and 14 days after they are bitten. According to the CDC, approximately 80 percent of people who are infected will not show any symptoms at all, but there is no way to know in advance if you will develop the illness."
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