Health officials made the announcement Friday. Charles McDowell died from complications caused by the virus. He farmed land near the Sacramento River Delta for 59 years.

McDowell’s family held a press conference and his grandaughter – Theresa Lim – said they wanted to talk to the media for three reasons. "One – let the spraying continue to reduce the mosquito population; two – expand the spraying to the Delta area where my grandfather lived; number three – pleased don’t make the mistake that we did, use insect repellant with Deet on yourself and your family members. Don’t take any chances."

As of today, the total number of human West Nile cases in Sacramento County has reached 83, that’s up from 70 on Tuesday. County health officer Glenna Trochet says she expects more cases. "I am sorry to say that yes, it is very likely that the numbers will rise and we may see other fatalities in Sacramento County just because of the probability of the sheer numbers that we are seeing."

Trochet says the best way to avoid getting the virus is to use insect repellent or avoid going outdoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.