Mosquito surveys have turned up the first bugs this season found to be infected with the potentially deadly West Nile virus. The infected mosquitoes were collected last Friday in Linthicum. Routine spraying of the area followed on Tuesday.
The virus has been present in Maryland for a decade, and infected mosquitoes turn up every year in late summer, posing a threat primarily to humans, horses and birds.
"The confirmation of virus-positive mosquitoes serves as a reminder to all residents to continue protecting themselves against mosquito bites," said Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Earl F. "Buddy" Hance.
Only 20 percent of those infected with the virus will become ill, and less than one percent develop a severe form of the disease. In 2009, Maryland reported only one human case of serious West Nile illness, down from 14 in 2008 and a high of 73 in 2003.