West Nile virus leads to death of Santa Clara County resident
SAN JOSE -- A Santa Clara County resident has died from West Nile virus after a long illness, public health officials said Wednesday.
The resident lives in Santa Clara County but was infected by the virus elsewhere in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, according to the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health.
No other details about the death were released in a brief statement posted Wednesday on the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health website.
As of Oct. 27, seven deaths from West Nile virus had been reported in California this year, according to the California Department of Public Health.
West Nile virus is transmitted by mosquitoes, which thrive in warm weather, and often spreads to people during the summer and early fall when the mosquitoes that carry the virus are most active.
Most people who are infected have mild or no symptoms. More than 100 people in the United States die every year from complications that arise from the virus, health officials said.
More information on the virus is available at https://westnile.ca.gov/faq .