Aug 11, 2008 2:10 pm US/Central
First Case Of West Nile Reported In W. Suburbs
(Sun-Times Media Wire)
The first confirmed human case of West Nile virus in Illinois this year has been linked to a young west suburban woman.
Illinois Department of Public Health announced Monday that laboratory tests have confirmed the disease on a case reported in Kane County, according to a news release. The woman -- in her 20s -- reported the onset of illness in late July, but because she had recently traveled, the infection could have been acquired in Illinois or other states.
"Human cases of West Nile virus in Illinois should remind people to protect themselves against mosquitoes by wearing insect repellent and by trying to reduce any standing water around their homes. Dr. Damon Arnold, state pubic health director, said in the release. "Every year people become sick with West Nile virus, but it is something that can easily be prevented by taking a few simple precautions."
Among those precautions: Cover your skin with light, loose-fitting clothing; apply insect repellent; avoid areas with standing water and avoid the outdoors in the early morning and evening hours when mosquitoes tend to swarm.
Kane is one of 11 counties reporting mosquitoes, birds and/or horses that was tested positive for West Nile virus this summer. Cook and DuPage counties are also on that list.
Last year, 46 of the state's 102 counties were found to have a West Nile positive bird, mosquito, horse or human case. A total of 101 human cases, including four deaths, were reported last year in Illinois, the release said.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2009. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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