BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - A horse at Theodore Roosevelt National Park recently contracted West Nile Virus , but is this common?

West Nile Virus is the leading disease spread by mosquitoes in the United States, according to the CDC, and it usually starts with a bird.

“It’s typically something that is spread by the mosquitoes from bird to bird, but it also has the ability when it gets out of a bird through the mosquito, and it can go to humans, horses and other animals,” said Ethan Andress, state veterinarian.

He said the disease is common in the North Dakota wilderness.

Once the mosquito has drawn blood from the bird, they find another organism to draw blood from, leading to the spread of the disease.

In humans, West Nile Virus can present itself with flu-like symptoms, like a fever, m

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