An elderly Eastchester resident has died of West Nile virus, marking the first fatal case in Westchester in nearly a decade.

According to Westchester health officials, the victim, 79-year-old Barbara Zuberec, was bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus almost a month ago and passed away last Sunday after complications related to the illness.

Tom Meehan, of Eastchester, works outdoors in the vicinity of Zuberec?s house, and the news of her death put him on edge.

?When someone gets bit[ten] by a mosquito and gets West Nile and dies, it's pretty scary,? Meehan says.

Westchester County health officials say they tested in and around the woman's home but found no signs of mosquito breeding activity. Still, they advise people to take precautions like applying insect repellent and wearing long pants when going outside.

The last fatal case of West Nile virus in Westchester was reported in 1999, when a New Rochelle woman died.