PHOENIX (AP) — Maricopa County has recorded its first death in 2014 from the West Nile virus.
County health officials say the victim was a man in his early 60s who lived in a southeastern suburb of Phoenix. The man had underlying health issues.
The mosquito-carried West Nile virus can cause severe illness in people and horses, although only about 20 percent of those infected will develop any symptoms.
The symptoms are usually like the flu and include fever, headache, body aches, and muscle weakness. More severe symptoms can include inflammation of brain which can lead to paralysis or death.
Department of Health Director Bob England says it's important to remove standing water where mosquitoes like to bred.