First Human Case Of West Nile Virus Confirmed In Tulsa County

The Tulsa Health Department has confirmed a human case of West Nile virus (WNV) in Tulsa County.

This is the first confirmed human case this season and the 16th case statewide. 

In June, Oklahoma State Department of Health officials announced the first cases had been confirmed in residents of Okfuskee and McIntosh counties. Residents are urged to continue to take precaution against WNV as months with the highest risk for exposure to WNV are the months of July through October. 

Anyone residing in an area where WNV is present is at risk for exposure.

In May, department officials confirmed that a sampling of mosquitoes from Tulsa County tested positive for WNV.  

5/29/2015 Related Story: Tulsa Mosquitoes Test Positive For West Nile Virus

Of the 810 trap samples tested this season,  54 samples have been confirmed positive for WNV in Tulsa County to date. 

West Nile virus is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito, which feeds on infected birds and then transmits the virus when biting humans, horses, and some other mammals. 

Symptoms of WNV include sudden onset of fever, headache, dizziness, and muscle weakness. Long-lasting complications can include difficulty concentrating, migraine headaches, extreme muscle weakness and tremors, and paralysis of a limb. 

Tulsa County Health Department mosquito control/West Nile Virus information