DOH reports first death from West Nile in South Dakota this virus season

The South Dakota Department of Health reports the first death related to the West Nile Virus in South Dakota. According to the DOH, three people as of July 23^rd had been diagnosed with West Nile and one of those three have since passed away. The DOH did not release what county the death was in, but the three cases of West Nile have come out of Brookings, Marshall and Spink Counties. There has also been one human viremic blood donor, or a person’s blood which tested positive for West Nile, but showed no symptoms in Brown county also. The West Nile virus has been detected in mosquito pools in Beadle, Brown, Brookings, Codington, Hughes, Lincoln and Minnehaha counties. Health officials urge residents to take basic precautions to help prevent contracting West Nile. Some of those precautions include wearing insect repellent, removing standing water from your property, limit outdoor activity in the morning and at dusk and wearing clothing that covers your body while outdoors.