A Mississippi Department of Health employee holds one of the Culex mosquito species which has been identified as the primary carrier of the West Nile virus in the South, Friday, Aug. 9, 2002, in Jackson, Miss.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday announced the first reported case of West Nile virus in 2016. The individual who tested positive for the virus is an adult from Thomas County in northwestern Kansas, according to a news release issued by the KDHE.

West Nile cases are most common in the late summer and early fall. There were 34 cases of West Nile virus in Kansas last year, half of which resulted in hospitalization.

Symptoms range from a slight headache and low-grade fever to swelling of the brain or brain tissue; death occurs in rare cases. People who have had the virus before are considered immune, according to the KDHE.

The virus is not contagious from person to person. West Nile spreads primarily through infected mosquitoes of the Culex species, though the virus has been detected in more than 60 different mosquito species in the U.S. The Culex species has been known to transmit West Nile virus; they are not, however, known to transmit Zika virus.

The KDHE recommends the following precautions to protect against West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases:

• When you are outdoors, use insect repellent containing an EPA-registered active ingredient, including DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535. Follow the directions on the package.

• Many mosquitoes are most active at dusk and dawn, but can bite at any hour. Be sure to use insect repellent and wear long sleeves and pants at peak times or consider staying indoors during these hours.

• Make sure you have good screens on your windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out.

Get rid of mosquito breeding sites by emptying standing water from flower pots, buckets and barrels. Change the water in pet dishes and replace the water in bird baths weekly. Drill holes in tire swings so water drains out. Keep children’s wading pools empty and on their sides when they aren’t being used.

For more information on West Nile and how to prevent it, visit www.cdc.gov.