First 2023 Northern Colorado West Nile virus death confirmed after rapid spike of culex mosquitoes

A 53-year-old in Northern Colorado has died as a result of contracting West Nile virus, a virus that is passed to humans through mosquitoes. The Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment said the death is their first confirmed West Nile death of 2023.

Both Weld County and Larimer County have spent recent weeks warning the public of the imminent threat of West Nile as culex mosquitoes swarm the region. Culex mosquitoes are the type that carry and transmit the virus to humans.

 A recent study showed there were 10 times as many culex mosquitoes in parts of Northern Colorado as there were in 2022 during the same period.

So far at least eight people from across Weld County have been tested and confirmed to have West Nile. It is presumed that many others have the virus but do not have severe symptoms. Less than 1% of people infected with West Nile end up developing severe or fatal symptoms from the illness.

Symptoms of West Nile include fever and headache, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle and joint pains, weakness and rashes.

The counties have been encouraging local communities to spray to help kill mosquitos in their areas. Recently CBS News Colorado reported that the Town of Berthoud's board of trustees voted against spraying for mosquitos, even after the rate of culex mosquitoes in their traps was found to be significantly higher than that of neighboring communities that did spray.

CBS News Colorado also recently shared the story of one Northern Colorado woman who was infected with West Nile virus in the summer of 2022 and to this day is still battling with the symptoms of the illness.