A bird in Portland has tested positive for West Nile virus, the city’s Public Health Division said on Wednesday.

It’s the latest in a series of animals that have been found to have the mosquito-borne illness around Maine.

The virus has been detected in two crows and a hawk in Yarmouth, as well as animals in Skowhegan, Bar Harbor, Fryeburg, Parsonfield and Sidney. Fifteen birds have tested positive for West Nile this summer, the health department said in a statement.

Routine surveillance by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is conducted each summer, and the results are reported to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The virus was also reported in a Waldo County resident last month. It’s the first human case of the virus in Maine since 2018, but officials say the resident acquired the virus while traveling out of state.

“While West Nile and other viruses carried by mosquitoes are rare, they can cause serious illness,” Bridget Rauscher, Portland’s health officer, said in a statement. “It’s important for residents to take precautions against mosquito bites. You can protect yourself from mosquito bites with a few easy – yet effective – steps, and speak to your health care provider right away if you experience any symptoms.”

Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, fatigue body aches, joint pain, diarrhea and rash. Severe symptoms are extremely rare but can include encephalitis, meningitis and even death.

West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases, such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis – which was recently found in a wild turkey in Burnham – and Jamestown Canyon virus, can only be transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito.

To protect yourself from mosquito-borne diseases, wear long sleeves and pants; use an Environmental Protection Agency-approved repellent; drain sources of water on your property where mosquitos lay eggs, such as wheelbarrows; and use screens on windows and doors.