FILE - In this Sept. 29, 2016 file photo, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, responsible for transmitting Zika, sit in a petri dish at the Fiocruz Institute in Recife, Brazil. The Zika virus may not seem as big a threat as last summer but don't let your guard down, especially if you're pregnant. While cases of the birth defect-causing virus have dropped sharply from last year's peak in parts of South America and the Caribbean, Zika hasn't disappeared and remains a threat for U.S. travelers. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

AURORA | An Adams County resident died this week after contracting West Nile Virus, according to the Tri-County Health Department.

The person was in their 60s and likely died from a complication of an underlying infection, the department said in a news release. This is the first West Nile-related death in Adams County this year and the third in Colorado, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

In Colorado, West Nile season typically runs from May through October with the majority of cases reported in August and September, the department said. Last year there were 175 reported cases and 11 deaths. So far this year there have been 39 reported cases, 29 hospitalizations and three deaths. Four cases have been in Adams County. One has been reported in Arapahoe County.

West Nile is spread through mosquito bites, and symptoms include fever, muscle aches, fatigue and headaches, though most people do not become symptomatic. People over 50 and the immunocompromised are at higher risk, the release said.

To protect against mosquitos, Tri-County recommends using insect repellent, limiting outdoor activities at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active and wearing long pants and sleeves in areas where mosquitoes are active.

“Our thoughts go out to the family of this Adams County resident,” Tri-County executive director Dr. John Douglas said in the release. “The increased rain and warmer weather have given mosquitos an ideal breeding habitat this season. I urge people to take precautions, especially at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.”