(ONN) – Ohio health officials say a man from the Toledo area has died from West Nile virus.

The Ohio Department of Health says the 68-year-old Lucas County man had been hospitalized with encephalitis.

He’s the first person to die from the mosquito-borne illness in Ohio this year.

Last year, six people in Ohio died from the disease.

In Ohio, most West Nile virus cases and other diseases transmitted by mosquitoes usually occur from May through October when mosquitoes are most active.

“The primary way people get West Nile virus is through the bite of an infected mosquito,” said ODH Director Amy Acton, MD, MPH.

“I encourage all Ohioans and communities to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites in order to prevent mosquito-borne diseases.”

In July, Hancock Public Health announced that mosquitoes collected at Swale Park in Findlay tested positive for West Nile virus.

Hancock Public Health urges you to protect yourself from mosquito bites by limiting outdoor activity at dusk and dawn. You can also use insect repellent containing DEET and wear loose, light-colored clothing when outside.

Learn more about mosquitoes and West Nile virus here.