FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- The first two human cases of West Nile virus in Larimer County of 2006 have been confirmed by the Health Department.

A Loveland man and a Fort Collins woman, both in their early 50s, are recovering from the virus and are still suffering from West Nile virus fatigue, according to health officials.

The woman said she started having symptoms around July 4 and went to her doctor the next week. The man said he had vague symptoms around the same time but didn't find out he had the virus until he donated blood and it was detected as part of the screening process.

"These persons were likely bitten by an infected mosquito either the last week of June or first week of July," said Mike Doyle, West Nile virus health educator for Larimer County. "Because the lag time between a bite and getting a positive test result can be up to a month, health departments often don't hear about a human infection until two to four weeks after the person was bitten."

The head of the Larimer County Health Department, Dr. Adrienne LeBailly, said the two cases should remind everyone that West Nile virus "is still very much with us."

Doyle said the risk of contracting West Nile virus is higher now than when the first two people got sick three weeks ago.

"If there's standing water in someone's back yard, I try to stay away from it (and) try to stay inside," said West Nile virus survivor Dawn Hopkins. "(Mosquitoes) scare me now."

"The really hot weather only makes it more of a concern because the mosquitoes multiply much more quickly than when the temperatures are cooler," said LeBailly.

"The wave came through, and it left a remnant here. That remnant of disease can jump or spike pretty much in any year," said Doyle.

"In some states we've had their fifth year be their worst year," said LeBailly. "It's very unpredictable."

The concern for West Nile virus begins in the summer around July 4 and runs through August and typically into the second week of September.

"I just hope nobody gets what I had, because it was not a pleasant experience by any means," said Hopkins.

There are some measures people can take to help prevent contracting West Nile virus. Avoid outdoor activities at dusk and dawn, wear long-sleeved shirts and use mosquito repellents with the ingredient deet. Eliminate standing water or containers around the home such as birdbaths because they can become mosquito breeding grounds.

There were almost 3,000 cases in 2003 and 63 deaths. The numbers have gone down since then, but the virus is not gone. There have been six cases reported in Colorado this year.