A Salt Lake County resident may have died from West Nile virus — but county health officials say its too early to tell.
Nicholas Rupp, county health department spokesman, confirmed Monday that the department is investigating a death potentially related to West Nile, an infection spread by mosquitoes that rarely results in death.
But Rupp cautioned that it could be weeks before the results are finalized because of “the time required for the necessary laboratory tests.”
One in five people who contract West Nile develop symptoms such as fever, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea and a rash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most people recover quickly, but about 1 percent of those infected develop severe neurological illnesses such as encephalitis or meningitis that can result in death.
Last year, only one of 13 people in Utah who contracted documented cases of West Nile died, according to the state Department of Health.
About 2,000 cases of West Nile were reported nationwide in 2016, the CDC reported.
As of Monday morning, Salt Lake County officials had confirmed two human cases of West Nile, Rupp said. Five others — including the deceased resident — are under investigation, he added.
Mosquitoes carrying the virus have been found so far this summer in counties across the state, including Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Davis, Duchesne, Salt Lake, Uintah and Utah.
State officials previously have encouraged Utahs to wear long sleeves and pants, wear repellants containing DEET and get rid of any standing water — a moves to help reduce contact with mosquitoes. Virus-infected mosquitoes are typically out from dusk until dawn.
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