Long Beach reports its first West Nile virus death of 2014

A man in his mid-70s has become the first person in Long Beach to die of West Nile virus this year, city officials said Thursday.

The man lived in east Long Beach and was hospitalized in August, city officials said in a statement. His name was not released.

Nine human cases have been reported this year, according to the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, compared with seven cases in all of 2013. One Long Beach resident died of the virus last year, the most recent death since 2004.

In California, 181 human cases have been reported so far this year, an increase from 101 over the same period in 2013. At least nine people in the state have died from West Nile virus this year.

“The death of a Long Beach resident due to West Nile virus is a sad and sobering reminder of the risk posed by mosquito bites,” said Dr. Mitchell Kushner, public health officer for the city of Long Beach. “We need to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites and minimize risk of WNV infection, especially at this time of the year when the risk of infection is at its highest.”

The West Nile virus is transmitted to humans and animals by the bite of an infected mosquito. Most people aren’t at risk of serious illness, but less than 1% of the population can develop a serious neurological illness, such as encephalitis or meningitis.

Long Beach health officials are reaching out to people over the age of 50 and residents with diabetes, high blood pressure or other health conditions because they’re at the greatest risk of complications.

Healthcare officials urged residents to remove pools of stagnant water, wear long sleeves and pants while out at dusk or dawn, and use an insect repellent containing DEET. They’re also asked to report dead birds and squirrels.

Dead birds and tree squirrels can be reported online or by calling the California Department of Health Services at (877) WNV-BIRD.

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