According to the Minnesota Department of Health, West Nile virus has become increasingly widespread in the state since it was first detected in 2002. The type of mosquito most likely to carry the virus is typically found in open areas like farmland and prairie.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (CBS-KFGO) – The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District said Thursday that it found mosquitoes in Minnesota’s Anoka and Carver counties with West Nile virus. “The mosquito-borne disease risk tends to elevate as we get late into the summer,” said the district’s Alex Carlson.

West Nile Virus was first reported in the U.S. in 1999. The virus spreads through mosquito bites, although most people who catch it won’t experience symptoms. About 20% of those infected will develop symptoms such as fever. Less than 1% of those infected will develop a more severe and sometimes fatal illness.