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Public Safety

West Nile Death Reported In Orange County

Health officials say an elderly man from Buena Park has died from West Nile — Orange County's first death from the virus this year.

The Orange County Register reports the man died Sept. 17, a day after turning 80. He spent his last days in intensive care on a ventilator.

The Health Care Agency says the victim was one of 28 Orange County residents to contract the disease in 2015. His name was not released.

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Statewide, more than 150 human cases of the virus have been confirmed since Jan. 1.

West Nile is carried by mosquitoes. Most people infected have no symptoms but the elderly and people with compromised immune systems are at risk for life-threatening complications.

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.