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Four people have been infected with the West Nile virus, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health said Thursday.

They are the state's first West Nile cases of the year.

The health department said a 47-year-old woman and two men, ages 53 and 74, were recovering from the virus. The other victim was a woman whose infection was discovered while she was at a blood donation site.

"The blood collection agency was able to make sure her blood was not inadvertently given to someone else," said Dr. Bob England, acting director of the county health department.

West Nile is transmitted to humans and animals through mosquito bites. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds.

"With the heat and the recent rains, the stage is set to start seeing more and more human cases this summer," said David Engelthaler, an epidemiologist for the Arizona Department of Health Services.

About 20 percent of people infected with the virus will feel flu-like symptoms three to 15 days after being bitten.

Health officials say more than 500 Arizona residents have been infected with the disease since it arrived in the state in 2003, with 20 deaths attributed to it.