PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – A Providence man has Rhode Island’s first human case of West Nile Virus in two years, the state Department of Health announced Friday.

The 65-year-old man contracted the virus from a mosquito in Rhode Island between Aug. 14 and 26. The man is recovering at home and doing fine, said Robert Marshall, spokesman for the health department.

Marshall said this was a mild case, but health officials want to let people know so they will protect themselves.

“The disease is still out there in mosquitos,” he said. “The best way to prevent this is to avoid mosquito bites.”

The Providence man, whose name was not released, is the eighth person to get West Nile Virus since the state began monitoring the disease in 2000.

The first human case in Rhode Island occurred in 2002. Six people contracted the illness the next year, and one died.

The state has not had any mosquitos test positive for West Nile Virus this year, but the health department said it plans to step up testing.

Nationwide, 821 people in 32 states contracted West Nile Virus between the beginning of the year and Sept. 6, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. Eighteen people have died.

Children and senior citizens are most susceptible to West Nile infections, which tend to be mild in adults. Symptoms include fever, head and body aches and, in some cases, rashes and swollen glands.

Marshall said people need to be particularly careful on warm, humid, overcast days, such as Friday.

“This is a good biting day for mosquitos,” he said. “When the sun’s out bright, mosquitos go under the leaves to stay out of the sun.”

Health officials recommend people protect themselves by using insect repellant, wearing long-sleeve clothing and pants when outside at dawn and dusk, putting protective nets over playpens and baby carriages and keeping screen doors and windows in good repair. People should take these precautions until the first frost.