Officials Report State’s First West Nile Case for 2021

State health officials have reported Nebraska’s first human case this year of West Nile virus.

A county health department officials in northeastern Nebraska reported a person there had tested positive for the mosquito-borne illness, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services reported last Friday.

The Elkhorn-Logan Valley Health Department, which covers Burt, Cuming, Madison and Stanton counties, said the infected person was not hospitalized.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says most people with West Nile virus don’t have symptoms. But it can cause flu-like symptoms and sometimes leads to severe illness, including brain inflammation, and death.

Last year in Nebraska, 15 people were reported infected with the virus, including 10 who were hospitalized. One person died, according to the state health agency.