An 84-year-old Huntington man is being treated for West Nile virus in an Idaho hospital.

Jerry Thomas is the first Oregonian to test positive for the virus, which is transmitted to people by mosquito bites, in 2023.

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) didn’t list any human cases of the virus as of Wednesday, Aug. 9.

But Meghan Chancey, director of the Baker County Health Department, confirmed Wednesday morning that there had been a human case in the county.

“We received some of the lab work on Monday and the (West Nile) confirmation yesterday,” Chancey said on Wednesday.

Katie O’Donnell, who lives next to Thomas in Huntington, said she drove him to the emergency room at Saint Alphonsus Medical Center in Ontario recently after Thomas’ condition deteriorated.

O’Donnell said Thomas had gone to the hospital the previous day after feeling ill, but he returned to Huntington.

O’Donnell said Thomas was dizzy the following day, and having trouble with his vision. She said he was taken by ambulance from Ontario to St. Luke’s Hospital in Meridian, Idaho, where a test confirmed the virus.

O’Donnell said Thomas was being treated in the ICU, and that she and her mother, Rosemarie, have been helping Thomas’ wife during his absence.

West Nile virus has been confirmed this summer in mosquitoes trapped in five Oregon counties — Baker, Union, Malheur, Umatilla and Jackson, according to the OHA.

The virus was first detected in Malheur and Jackson counties.

The first batch of infected mosquitoes in Baker County were trapped July 25 near Keating, about 15 miles east of Baker City. That’s within the Baker Valley Vector Control District, a property tax-funded district that controls mosquitoes on about 200,000 acres in Baker, Keating and Bowen valleys.

Huntington, which is just a couple miles west of the Malheur County border, is not within the vector control district.

Earlier this month, two groups of mosquitoes trapped in South Baker City, and eight groups trapped in the Keating area, also tested positive.

Most people infected with West Nile virus will show little or no signs of disease, according to health officials. About one in five people who are infected develop a fever with other symptoms such as headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. Most people with febrile illness due to West Nile virus recover completely, but fatigue and weakness can last for weeks or months.

The incubation period is usually two to 14 days. Rarely, infected individuals may develop neuro-invasive disease (infection of the brain or spinal cord) that can be severe or may cause death. This is especially of concern to people 50 and older, people with immune-compromising conditions, and people with diabetes or high blood pressure.

“Depending on your age and if you have immunocompromised conditions that can increase your chance of having a more serious illness,” Chancey said.

Due to high mosquito trap numbers and mosquito samples testing positive for West Nile virus from the area, Baker Valley Vector Control will be ground-fogging the south portion of Baker City on Thursday, Aug. 10, weather permitting. Spraying is scheduled to take place in the portion of Baker City south of Auburn Avenue. Spraying will take place between 9 p.m. and midnight. During that time, please stay inside and keep windows and doors closed. It is also a good idea to refill pet water dishes with fresh water the next morning. Treatment areas are subject to change. You can visit bvvcd.org to view a detailed map of where spraying will take place. Call 541-523-1151 with any questions or concerns.