Mahoning County woman dies from West Nile
Staff report
AUSTINTOWN
A 66-year-old Mahoning County woman died Thursday after being hospitalized with encephalitis caused by the bite of a mosquito carrying the West Nile virus.
The victim was the first human case of West Nile virus in Mahoning County reported to the Mahoning County District Board of Health and the Ohio Health Department, said Mary Helen Smith, environmental health director for the county health department.
Smith said where the victim lived and when and how long she was hospitalized would not be made public.
Earlier in the summer, one case of La Crosse encephalitis also was reported in Mahoning County, Smith said.
Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain that can result from the bite of an infected mosquito, she said.
There are three prevalent mosquito-borne viruses that cause encephalitis in Ohio.
Read more about the disease and how to prevent it in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.