West Nile Virus: State's First Case Confirmed In Will County

WILL COUNTY, IL — A Will County man in his sixties is the first person in Illinois to be diagnosed with West Nile virus this summer. The Crete resident, 67, was diagnosed with the mosquito-borne illness in late June, Will County Health Department officials said. Most people infected with WNV exhibit no clinical symptoms, but approximately 20 percent of cases cause mild or serious illness — and in some cases, it can result in meningitis, encephalitis or death.

The health department did not release any additional information on the Crete man's condition.

Recent hot, humid weather could be to blame for an increase in mosquitoes carrying West Nile.

“This is typically the time of year we start to see human cases of West Nile virus in Illinois,” said Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Nirav D. Shah. “Although the flooding in northeastern Illinois may be producing a large number of floodwater mosquitoes, those mosquitoes do not carry West Nile virus. However, the hot, dry conditions we’ve been seeing around the rest of Illinois, which leave small, stagnant pockets of standing water, create ideal breeding sites for the type of mosquito that does carry West Nile virus.”

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In Illinois, monitoring for West Nile includes lab tests for mosquito batches, dead crows, blue jays, robins and other perching birds, as well as testing humans with West Nile virus-like symptoms. Anyone who spots a sick or dying bird should contact their local health department, officials said.

In 2016, the first human case of WNV was reported in June after an adolescent boy became ill. Last year, 61 counties in Illinois reported WNV-positive mosquito batches, birds or human cases. State health officials reported 155 confirmed human cases of West Nile.

Although most people who are bitten by an infected mosquito show no symptoms, others may experience fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches. Symptoms can last from a few days to a few weeks. People over age 50 and those with weakened immune systems have a higher risk of becoming ill from West Nile.

In addition to West Nile, the Illinois Department of Public Health is also monitoring for the Zika virus, which is also spread through mosquito bites. The type of mosquito that carries Zika, known as Aedes aegypti, is rarely found in Illinois, but Will County health officials still advise residents to take precautions to reduce the risk of mosquito bites.

Health officials urge residents to practice the "three Rs" — reduce, repel and report:

• REDUCE - make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut. o Eliminate, or refresh each week, all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires, and any other containers.
• REPEL - 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.
• REPORT – report locations where you see water sitting stagnant for more than a week such as roadside ditches, flooded yards, and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes. The local health department or city government may be able to add larvicide to the water, which will kill any mosquito eggs.

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