COLUMBIA, S.C. — Health officials say a South Carolina resident has died from West Nile virus, the first such instance this year.
The state Department of Health and Environmental Control identified the victim in a news release on Thursday as an Anderson County resident.
DHEC said it has confirmed seven human cases of West Nile virus, along with 10 birds and 55 mosquito samples.
The risk of serious illness or death from West Nile Virus is low, and less than 1 percent of people infected develop a potentially fatal swelling of the brain, known as encephalitis.
Most people infected with West Nile virus have no symptoms.
[READ MORE: Officials to spray in Rock Hill neighborhood after West Nile scare]
About one in five people infected becomes ill within two to 14 days with symptoms including fever, headache, joint pain, muscle pain and occasionally nausea and vomiting.
They may also often experience sensitivity to light and inflammation of the eyelids, and some may have a rash. "If you develop fever or other symptoms after being bitten by a mosquito, you should contact your health care provider," said Dr. Melissa Overman, South Carolina assistant state epidemiologist.
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