NJ West Nile Virus Case

New Jersey health authorities said Thursday a person has been infected with West Nile virus, the first human case confirmed in the state this year.

Health officials scheduled a 2:30 p.m. news conference to provide details, spokeswoman Marilyn Riley said. Riley declined to provide details about the patient's age, residence or current medical condition.

Last month, health officials said 47 people had been tested who showed symptoms of the disease this season. Five tested negative; results were pending for the remainder.

Last year, 12 New Jersey residents were diagnosed with the illness, and a 45-year-old Carteret man died in October, the state's only death in 2001.

Tests have confirmed that 154 crows found dead in 16 counties in the state this season had the virus.

West Nile spreads when mosquitoes feed on infected birds. In most cases it causes only minor infection in people, but some can develop meningitis or encephalitis.

Most people who are infected survive, but mortality is higher among the elderly or others with deficient immune systems.

Residents can take precautions by eliminating standing water on their properties and using insect repellent.

Five Louisiana residents have died this summer from the disease, which has spread from the Northeast, where it was first U.S. outbreak was reported three years ago, to Southeastern and Midwestern states.

Louisiana has reported 71 confirmed human cases this year and Mississippi 22. Texas has 10 suspected cases and Arkansas has one.

Since 1999, the virus has been found in birds and people in 34 states and Washington, D.C., and health officials expect it will continue spreading west. On Tuesday, the first human case in Illinois was confirmed.

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Author: 6 ABC-AP