More Cases of West Nile Found in Bolingbrook, Lockport

Submitted by the Will County Health Department:

Mosquitoes collected from Will County Health Department monitoring sites in Lockport, Bolingbrook and Manhattan have added to the county’s growing West Nile Virus (WNV) totals, the health department said Thursday.

Mosquitoes harvested from sites in Lockport and Bolingbrook yielded virus-positive samples Aug. 27. It marked the second round of positive test results from the Bolingbrook trap, one of 15 monitoring locations operated by Will County Environmental Health.

A pair of Eastern Will County sites have also kept Environmental Health personnel busy. Mosquitoes from a trap in Manhattan tested WNV-positive Aug. 25. A Mokena monitoring facility yielded positive results Aug. 20, and is one of three Environmental Health traps to produce two positives so far this summer.

In total, Will County has recorded at least 15 virus-positive mosquito samples since July, including 12 from monitoring facilities operated by the Health Department. Will is one of 39 Illinois counties to report human or animal WNV activity during 2014.

No human disease cases have been reported from Will County, but Cook County has reported two human cases to date.

The Illinois Department of Public Health website shows 498 virus-positive mosquito samples and 19 infected birds as of noon, Aug. 28. The state statistics are updated weekly.

WNV is a mosquito-borne viral infection first identified in Illinois in 2002. Mosquitoes acquire the virus by feeding on infected birds and can transmit WNV to humans during a blood meal.

Protect yourself against WNV when going outdoors. Long sleeves, shoes, socks and pants are recommended. Insect repellent containing DEET, or other compounds that deter mosquitoes are also strongly recommended.

For more information about WNV, visit www.idph.state.il.us. You may also call the Health Department’s WNV Information Line at 815-740-7631 24 hours daily.