A second Connecticut resident was infected with West Nile virus this season, the state Department of Public Health confirmed Thursday.

The patient, a Hartford County resident in their 50s, became ill during the third week of August with West Nile meningoencephalitis, officials said. The patient was hospitalized and has since recovered, DPH said in a news release.

The state agency reported the first human case of West Nile virus last month. A New Haven County woman in her 50s became ill in the third week of July and later recovered.

Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of West Nile virus antibodies in both patients.

DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani warned that the hospitalization emphasizes the potential seriousness of such an infection.

"As we approach the cooler weather, it is important to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites," Juthani said in a statement. "Using insect repellent, covering bare skin, and avoiding being outdoors during the hours of dusk and dawn are effective ways to help keep you from being bitten by mosquitoes."

The weather has not deterred these insects from transmitting the infection. In fact, Connecticut's weather has continued to be favorable, according to Philip Armstrong, a medical entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

"These mosquitoes are most abundant in urban and suburban areas with dense human populations," Armstrong said. "We anticipate continued risk for human infection until mosquito activity subsides in October."

West Nile virus is not new to Connecticut; it's been detected in the state every year since 1999 and is the most prevalent mosquito-borne illness in the United States, according to DPH. Only about one in five infected people develop West Nile fever, and about one out of 150 infected people develop a severe illness affecting the central nervous system.

About one out of every 10 cases of severe illness are fatal, DPH said, with people over the age of 60 being at the highest risk.

Armstrong's lab examines hundreds of thousands of insects each season to determine whether they are transmitting certain infections, including West Nile virus. As of Aug. 31, the virus had been detected in 25 Connecticut towns this season.