Two Maryland Residents Diagnosed With West Nile

BALTIMORE (AP) - Two Marylanders have been diagnosed with West Nile Virus, the first confirmed cases in the state this year.

State health officials say an adult from Baltimore County and a senior citizen from Montgomery County have come down with the mosquito-borne illness.

Health officials say most people who contract West Nile won't even show any symptoms. But it can cause illness in older people and those with compromised immune systems. Less than one percent of those exposed to the virus will become seriously ill.

Officials advise taking common sense steps to avoid mosquitoes, including removing standing water and wearing insect repellent.

The state has tested nearly 1,200 mosquito pools, and only one has come back positive for the virus.

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