CHICAGO — The local health department has elevated the risk of contracting West Nile virus to “high” after the city recently recorded three cases of the virus, Chicago’s first human cases this year.

The three patients are between 40 and 80 years old, live on the Northwest or South sides and all contracted symptoms in late July or early August, according to a news release from the Chicago Department of Public Health.

The virus spreads only through infected mosquito bites. One in five people develop fever or flu-like symptoms — but most won’t feel sick, according to the health department. One in 150 infected people over 60 years old get severely ill.

“We are seeing a higher proportion of mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile virus than usual this year,” Chicago Public Health Commissio

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