KALAMAZOO, MI – Health officials in Kalamazoo County have confirmed the first human case of West Nile virus this year.

This is the 18th human case of West Nile virus in Michigan, according to a news release from Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services.

“We strongly encourage residents to take precautions such as using insect repellent with DEET and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors during the peak mosquito-biting hours, which are from dusk to dawn,” Deb Lenz, Kalamazoo County interim health officer, said in a statement.

According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, most people infected with the virus have no symptoms. Some may develop fever, headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea or rash.

Most people recover completely, but

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