Oklahoma has reported its first West Nile virus death of the season.
The mosquito-borne illness can be deadly for older and immunocompromised individuals.
At least 10 cases of West Nile virus have been reported to the CDC this year.

As temperatures warm, US health officials are braced for rising rates of West Nile virus, a disease transmitted by mosquitoes that can cause meningitis, paralysis, and death.

Oklahoma reported its first West Nile death of the year on Thursday, in a resident who had been hospitalized with the illness.

In 2021, eight people got sick and one died of West Nile virus in Oklahoma, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus often infects people without causing symptoms, but can be deadly if it reaches the brain.

Cases of West Nile virus typically spike during the summer months, with the mosquito season spanning from spring through late fall. At least 10 cases have been reported to the CDC this year.

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