Officials said a sample that was collected from the west side of the City of Springfield in August tested positive for the virus, the second positive test in the county in 2017.
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In July samples collected near the southwest side of Springfield also tested positive for West Nile Virus, according to the health district.
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The health district has sent an alert to area medical communities to help diagnose human cases of of West Nile Virus, in addition to continuous monitoring of the mosquito population.
Officials said 80 percent of people infected with West Nile Virus will not show any symptoms, but added there is no way to know in advance if one will develop an illness or not. Symptoms usually show up from three to 14 days after people are bitten by the infected mosquito, the health district said.
About one in 150 people infected will develop severe illness. The severe symptoms can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks and neurological effects may be permanent.
Up to 20 percent of people who become infected will have milder symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back. Symptoms can last for a few days to as long as several weeks.
There is no specific treatment for the infection, the health district says, and the best way to avoid West Nile Virus is to prevent mosquito bites.
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