San Diego County health officials are investigating what may be two new human cases of West Nile virus after a San Diego woman died and a Santee woman was hospitalized.
In late August, the elderly women were admitted to the hospital for symptoms of encephalitis, a brain inflammation that can be caused by viral or bacterial infections, according to the County Health and Human Services Agency.
The 79-year-old San Diego patient died on Sept. 8. The 80-year-old Santee woman is recovering after undergoing treatment. Officials with the California Department of Public Health will do testing next week to confirm the cases were West Nile virus.
Only one human case of the potentially deadly disease, which is spread through mosquito bites, has been confirmed in San Diego County this year. However, about 140 dead birds and 22 batches of mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus since January, according to the County Department of Environmental Health.
Last year, 11 people in the county caught the disease, while 41 dead birds and six mosquito batches were West-Nile positive.
Vector Control employees inspected the areas where the women were sickened to check for potential mosquito breeding. They also set up traps and notified residents to warn them that West Nile was discovered in their neighborhood.
According to the county health department, 80 percent of people who become infected with West Nile have no symptoms. Of the 20 percent who do get sick, most have headaches, fever, nausea, fatigue, rashes or swollen glands.
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One in 150 of infected patients develop possibly life-threatening neurological complications, which increase in people over 50 years old and those with weakened immune systems, health officials say.
For more on how to avoid mosquitoes and prevent West Nile virus, click here.
