The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed this year's first West Nile virus activity.

West Nile virus activity was recently confirmed in mosquitoes collected in late May in Saginaw County.

Last year, 40 people were diagnosed with West Nile virus in Michigan with one death reported. Nationally, there were 2,002 human cases of the virus and 121 deaths reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. Most people who contract the virus have no clinical symptoms of illness, but some may become ill three to 15 days after the bite of an infected mosquito.

Symptoms of West Nile virus include a high fever, confusion, muscle weakness and a severe headache. More serious complications include neurological illnesses, such as meningitis and encephalitis.

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