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Onondaga County (WENY) -- An elderly Onondaga County resident has died of West Nile virus. It's the county's first ever death from the mosquito-bourne disease and the first in New York state this year.

More than 26 people across the country have died in what the CDC says is the worst outbreak of West Nile virus since 2004.

New York has five confirmed cases -- two from Onondaga County, which now includes the fatality. The county's health commissioner -- Dr. Cynthia Morrow -- says the individual died after a short hospitalization for West Nile symptoms. The person's name, age and sex were not revealed for privacy reasons, but Morrow did say the victim was elderly and had several other medical problems.

This is the first West Nile death this year in the state. Morrow says the other county resident who contracted the virus this summer is now fully recovered.

So far this year, 43 states have reported West Nile infections in people, birds and mosquitoes. There's close to 700 human cases -- the majority in Texas.