North Dakota has seen another sharp uptick in the number of West Nile Virus cases reported to the state Health Department.
The state reports 76 West Nile cases. That’s up 37 cases since September Third.
"We did have our first peak at the end of July and beginning of August," said State Health Department West Nile program director Michelle Feist. "Then cases started tapering off. So we're actually looking at two peaks of West Nile illness onset, which is unusual."
Feist says her department isn’t sure what the reason is for the second peak.
"We know West Nile is coming in the summertime," said Feist. "With a lot of diseases, there can be some level of unpredictability. And it's showing that."
Feist says people need to continue to take the proper precautions – until the first hard frost. Those precautions include wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants at dawn or dusk…and use mosquito repellant containing “deet.”