A 59-year-old DeKalb County man has been reported as infected with West Nile virus, the first human case in the area.

“This is not unexpected, due to the fact that there have been cases diagnosed throughout Illinois and the United States and we know the mosquitoes in our area are infected,” said Jane Lux, public health administrator at the DeKalb County Health Department, in a press release.

West Nile virus is transmitted through bites from infected mosquitoes. Most people with the virus have no clinical symptoms of illness, but some may become ill three to 14 days after a bite from an infected mosquito, according to the release. People who are over 50 have the highest risk of severe disease as a result of the virus, but the illness is typically mild and includes fever, headache and body aches, according to the release.

Greg Maurice, director of the Environmental Health Division, said in the release that the most effective way to prevent being infected with the West Nile virus is to reduce the chance of being bitten by a mosquito.

Community members can do this by eliminating standing water around their property and using mosquito repellent.