GASTON COUNTY, N.C. (WHKY) — North Carolina health officials have confirmed the state’s first human case of West Nile virus this year.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services says the case was identified in a Gaston County resident. Officials also detected West Nile virus in a blood donor in Mecklenburg County through routine screening.

The virus has also been found in mosquito samples collected in Cabarrus, Forsyth and Mecklenburg counties during July. Health officials say those findings indicate virus activity is increasing earlier than normal this summer.

West Nile virus spreads through the bite of an infected mosquito and is not spread from person to person. Most people infected never develop symptoms, but some may experience fever, headache, body aches and joint pain. In rare cases, the virus can cause serious neurological illness, particularly in older adults and people with weakened immune systems.

State health officials are urging North Carolinians to reduce mosquito breeding areas by emptying standing water around homes, using EPA-approved insect repellent and wearing long sleeves and pants during peak mosquito activity at dawn and dusk.