WASHINGTON — Maryland health officials announced the first human case of West Nile virus in the state this year.

According to the Maryland Department of Health, the patient lives in central Maryland and is recovering from the infection.

In July, mosquito control services sprayed neighborhoods in Hyattsville after traps detected West Nile virus in some insects.

“We are in the season when the West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne viruses can spread in Maryland,” said Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services Dr. Meg Sullivan. “We urge people to be vigilant and take steps to avoid infection, such as eliminating standing pools of water where mosquitoes can breed."

First detected in the U.S. in 1999, West Nile virus is transmitted to humans from mosquitoes infected by feeding on birds

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