2nd Death From West Nile Reported In Illinois

ILLINOIS — Less than a month after the first West Nile virus-related death was reported in Illinois, the Illinois Department of Public Health said a second person has also died. The latest data released by IDPH shows a total of 63 human cases, but does not specify where the second death occurred.

The first person to die from the mosquito-borne illness was a 65-year-old resident of LaSalle County, who became ill in early August. As of late August, only 22 human cases of the illness had been reported, meaning an additional 41 cases have been confirmed since then, according to IDPH.

The oldest person in Illinois to become sick with WNV this year was age 85, and the youngest was 18, according to IDPH. Twenty-nine birds have tested positive for the illness, and 2,890 mosquito bathes have been found to be infected.

Eight Illinois residents died in 2017 after becoming infected with WNV, with the first death reported on Sept. 29, 2017. (Get Patched In: Subscribe to free daily email, news alerts, Facebook fun and more from Patch)

West Nile symptoms may last from a few days to a few weeks, but most people — four out of five, according to IDPH — infected with West Nile virus will not show any symptoms.

In rare cases, severe illness including meningitis or encephalitis, or even death, can occur. People older than 50 and immunocompromised individuals are at higher risk for severe illness.

IDPH advised taking these steps to reduce mosquitoes in your area as well as your chance of being bitten by a WNV-infected mosquito:

• Minimize being outdoors when mosquitoes transmitting West Nile virus are most active, especially between dusk and dawn.
• When outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and apply insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR 3535, according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.
• Eliminate all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, such as old tires, buckets and other receptacles, or refresh the water in bird baths, flowerpots and wading pools every couple days.

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