READ THE ENTIRE LETTER ON THE 12 NEWS APP. TWO PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN DIED AFTER CONTRACTING WEST NILE VIRUS, WHICH IS SPREAD BY MOSQUITOES. A MAN IN HIS 70'S AND A MAN IN HIS 50'S CONTRACTED THE VIRUS IN JULY AND DIED THIS MONTH. NICK BOHR JOINING US. THE STATE IS ISSUING A WARNING BUT ALSO TRYING TO TEMPER THAT A BIT. >> SERIOUS ILLNESS IS RARE EVEN WHEN SOMEONE IS INFECTED BY A MOSQUITO WITH THE VIRUS. HOWEVER, THEY WANT TO REMIND US, IT CAN LEAD TO LONG TERM NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEMS, OR EVEN DEATH. FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES NOW, THE ANNOYANCE OF SUMMER MOSQUITOES IN WISCONSIN HAS ALSO CARRIED A HUM OF DANGER. >> THE MOSQUITOES ARE ACTIVE, THEY ARE GETTING INFECTED AND CAN CERTAINLY BITE PEOPLE AND SPREAD DISEASE. >> THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES ISSUING A WARNING THURSDAY, REVEALING TWO PEOPLE HAVE DIED THIS MONTH FROM THE MOSQUITO-BORNE WEST NILE VIRUS. SINCE IT FIRST EMERGED IN BIRD POPULATIONS IN WISCONSIN IN 2002, THE VIRUS HAS BEEN BLAMED FOR 31 DEATHS HERE. >> IT CAN VARY FROM YEAR TO YEAR. WE HAVE SEEN WEST NOW VIRUS CASES REPORTED EARLY AS APRIL AND MAY. THAT IS PRETTY UNUSUAL. TYPICALLY WE SEE CASES INCREASING IN JULY, AUGUST, AND SEPTEMBER. THIS THE PEAK WEST NILE VIRUS SEASON. WE WILL PROBABLY SEE ADDITIONAL CASES THROUGH THIS SEASON. >> STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST REBECCA OSBORN SAYS ABOUT 80% OF PEOPLE INFECTED DON'T EVEN REALIZE IT. FOR THOSE WHO DO, MOST DESCRIBE IT AS FEELING LIKE THE FLU, AND THEY RECOVER. BUT ABOUT 1 IN 150 CASES WILL DEVELOP INTO A MORE SERIOUS NEURO INVASIVE DISEASE THAT CAN LEAD TO LONG TERM NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEMS OR DEATH. >> OUR METHOD REALLY IS TO ALL WISCONSIN RESIDENTS THAT THE RISK IS PRESENT THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER AND PROBABLY INTO THE EARLY FALL AND TO CONSIDER WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT MOSQUITO BITES. >> A WOMAN IN HER 80'S IS ALSO SERIOUSLY ILL. ALL OF THESE SEVERE CASES ARE IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE STATE. IS THERE A REASON FOR THAT? >> DHS SAYS NOT REALLY. IT'S BEEN A WET SUMMER THERE, BUT IT HAS BEEN HERE AS WELL. THE CASES ARE TRADITIONALLY SHOWING UP ACROSS THE STATE AND WEST NILE VIRUS IS PRESENT IN BIRDS HERE TOO. SO THEY SAY TO DO WHAT YOU CAN TO AVOID BITES, AND REMOVE STANDING WATER WHERE YOU CAN. >> SOME GOOD ADVICE. HUMAN CASES OF THE WEST NILE VIRUS HAVE ALSO BEEN CONFIFIRMED IN WASHINGTON IN DODGE COUNTY. MOSQUITOES AND ANIMALS ONLY IN FIVE COUNTIES, INCLUDING MILWAUKEE. HERE'S A LOOK COMPARING THE NUMBER OF WEST NILE VIRUS DEATHS IN WISCONSIN OVER THE YEAR. THERE WERE THREE LAST YEAR, ZERO THE PREVIOUS THREE YEARS, AND FIVE DEATHS IN 2012. WAR INFORMATION ON