It’s hit our community at last. A state agency reported Thursday that two horses have tested positive for the West Nile virus. The outbreak has also reached humans in the state for the first time, as the agency recognized the first two cases, both in the metro area.

The Minnesota Department of Health reported two horse infections in the county, one in the south central area and the other in the southwest part of the county, near the Iowa border. Whether the infected horses are dead or alive is unknown at this moment.

&uot;Yes, there are infected horses. But it’s not unexpected,&uot; said County Public Health Director Lois Ahern. She stressed that the possibility for humans to get severely ill from the virus is extremely low. &uot;As soon as we get hard freeze in probably a month or six weeks, the concern should disappear.&uot;

Unlike human cases, infected horses have a high rate of death by the virus, around one third. But, there is a vaccine available for horses.

According to Dr. Mike Bjorklund of Clarks Grove/Waseca Veterinary Clinic, the vaccination consists of two shots in a four-week period. Each shot costs about $14 to $20. Along with the vaccination, he recommends the usual precaution of keeping horses away from mosquito bites as much as possible. Veterinarians are sending blood samples to the Board of Animal Health for an examination whenever there is the suspicion of virus infection.

Officials have also found four dead birds that may have the virus: two crows and two blue jays, collected by the county to be tested for the virus, but the results have not returned from the lab yet.

The human cases became known by a blood exam on a 29-year-old Carver County man and 35-year-old Hennepin County man. Both men were hospitalized with symptoms including fever, severe headache and neck pain, but have already been released, according to the agency.

Dr. Harry Hull, state epidemiologist, emphasized that the state was anticipating the news of human infection ever since the virus first appeared in Minnesota in July.

&uot;The occurrence of West Nile virus in humans does not mean that Minnesota will experience anything like the number of cases that occurred in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas,&uot; Hull said in a written statement. &uot;In fact, the experience of our neighboring states would suggest otherwise.&uot;

The West Nile virus first appeared in New York City in 1999 and has now been found in 41 states.

In 2002, West Nile has affected 480 people, resulting in 24 deaths nationwide. In Minnesota, it was first detected July this year. So far, the virus has been found in 229 horses and 215 birds in the state.