State Health Dept.: Valencia County Man Dies From West Nile

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Department of Health officials say a 63-year-old Valencia County man has died from West Nile virus. They say the man developed neuroinvasive disease and was hospitalized before his death. It's the second human case of West Nile infection identified in New Mexico this year and the state's first West Nile fatality in 2016. The man's name wasn't released Thursday. Last year, the New Mexico Department of Health identified 14 cases of West Nile virus in people, including 12 with neuroinvasive disease. There were no fatalities. Authorities say there are no medications to treat or vaccines to prevent West Nile. They say people over 50 and those with other health issues are at a higher risk of becoming seriously ill or dying when they become infected with the virus.