Idaho Man Sick with West Nile Virus

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho officials say a southwest Idaho man has been hospitalized with the first confirmed case of West Nile virus in the state this year. Southwest District Health officials in a statement Friday say the man in his 40s is a resident of Payette County. Also on Friday the Idaho State Department of Agriculture reported that two horses in southwest Idaho tested positive. One of the horses that tested positive is near Parma and the other near Meridian. The agencies say residents should take precautions to protect themselves and their animals from mosquitoes. The illness is typically spread through the bite of infected mosquitoes. The agencies say the virus can be life threatening for people, starting as a flu-like illness.