Health officials are urging the public to protect themselves from mosquito bites amid the earliest start to the West Nile virus season in the United States. Nationally, 48 human cases of West Nile were reported through the end of June, the highest number of infections reported at this point in the year since 2004, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC typically reports an average of 10 cases of West Nile by the end of June.