RALEIGH — Two people from North Carolina died after contracting the West Nile virus, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
The department did not say who died or where the deaths occurred. But officials warn that older adults and people with underlying health conditions are more at risk of dying if they contract the virus.
Channel 9 has reported three people tested positive for West Nile virus in Mecklenburg County around Labor Day.
Two people in Cabarrus County got the virus in August.
The first positive case in the state was in Gaston County at the beginning of August.
The illness is carried by mosquitoes.
You can protect yourself by using insect repellent containing DEET, wearing long sleeves and pants, and draining all standing water that may attract mosquitoes.
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