Knox County Sees First West Nile Case In 6 Years - NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather & Sports

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Knox County is reporting its first case of West Nile disease in six years.

WATE-TV reports the health department has been spraying around the county to try to kill the infected mosquitoes that spread the virus.

A mild case of West Nile can cause flu-like symptoms and a skin rash. But a severe case can cause convulsions, vision loss, numbness, paralysis, coma and even death. The symptoms can last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent.

People over the age of 50 are more likely to develop serious symptoms.

According to Tennessee Department of Health statistics, 14 other cases of human West Nile infection have been reported across the state so far this year.