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Michigan health officials sound the alarm for West Nile Virus

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The first human case of West Nile virus is being reported in Michigan this week.

Last year, the virus killed 17 people in this state.

Here's the good news: There has been lots of rain this year.

It turns out the kind of mosquitos that carry West Nile like dry, hot weather.

The bad news: we're not in the clear yet. August and September are the peak months for mosquitos.

It wasn't until this time last year that Michigan had its first human case in 2012.

"The fact is, we're seeing it in animals, now we're seeing it in humans,” says

Angela Minicuci with the Department of Community Health, “So it's really important that people take precautions."

Those precautions include things like washing out your drains, your kiddie pools, and your bird baths: West Nile mosquitos like dirty, standing water for breeding.

Kate Wells is a Peabody Award-winning journalist currently covering public health. She was a 2023 Pulitzer Prize finalist for her abortion coverage.
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