1st Human Case Of West Nile Virus In Lake County Reported

LAKE COUNTY, IL — Public health officials Friday announced the county's first human case of West Nile virus of the year has been confirmed. A Waukegan woman in her 60s who contracted the disease began showing symptoms of the illness in mid-August, according to the Lake County Health Department.

County officials said 61 samples of mosquitoes and two birds have tested positive for West Nile virus so far in 2018. There have been 66 human cases of West Nile virus and two confirmed deaths in Lake County since 2002, the health department said.

Statewide this year, there have been 22 human cases of the virus confirmed in Illinois. And last week, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported the first death of the year associated with the virus, a 65-year-old LaSalle County resident who became sick in early August.

Most people who contract West Nile will show no symptoms. Those that do tend to get sick from three to 15 days after being bit by an infected mosquito, which pick up the virus from feeding on diseased birds.

Fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches are among the more common symptoms, and some people can experience severe illness including meningitis or encephalitis. Seniors and those with weakened immune systems are at an increase risk of becoming seriously ill from West Nile.

Last year, 90 people became infected with West Nile and eight people died, with the first death reported on Sept. 29, according to

"Take precautions to protect yourself from mosquito bites and West Nile virus,” said Mark Pfister, executive director of the Lake County Health Department. “Even though the weather is getting cooler, mosquitoes will remain active until the first hard frost.”

To reduce the risk of catching the virus from an infected mosquito, health officials asked residents to follow the "4 Ds of Defense" – draining standing water, defending against mosquitoes with repellent, dawn and dusk protection and dressing appropriately.

Lake County residents can report areas of stagnant water, report locations of dead birds, and find out more more information about West Nile virus by calling the West Nile hotline at 847-377-8300.

Related:

• First West Nile Death Reported In Illinois For 2018
• West Nile Positive Mosquitoes Found In Lake County
• Risk Of West Nile In Suburbs Highest Since 2012 Outbreak
• Human West Nile Cases Confirmed In Will, DuPage Counties