Fayette County health officials are confirming a case of West Nile virus in a Lexington resident. West Nile is known to be transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. This is the first confirmed case of West Nile in 2017 in the Lexington area.
As a result, health department crews plan to initiate targeted mosquito spraying Thursday morning in sections of downtown and east Lexington.
West Nile produces few or no symptoms in most people, however serious neurologic illnesses are seen in fewer than one percent of those infected.
Health department officials announced plans for selected mosquito control this past spring in preparation for the possibility of the Zika virus coming to central Kentucky. So far, no locally transmitted Zika cases have been reported in Fayette County.
© 2017 WEKU
