First Human Case Of West Nile Confirmed In Chicago: IDPH

CHICAGO — The Illinois Department of Public Health on Wednesday said a Chicago man in his 70s is this year's first confirmed human case of West Nile virus. The mosquito-borne illness can cause fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches, and in rare but severe cases, illnesses including meningitis. People older than age 60 and those with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of severe illness or even death from West Nile.

Last year, IDPH reported 176 human cases of West Nile and 17 deaths. The true number of human West Nile cases was likely higher, since the illness often goes unreported.

Also in 2018, 74 counties in Illinois reported a West Nile virus positive mosquito batch, bird, horse, and/or human case.

“Although the first human case of West Nile virus this year in Illinois has been reported a little later than we typically see, it is important to remember that there is an ongoing risk of disease from a mosquito bite,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “West Nile virus can cause serious illness in some people so it’s important that you take precautions like wearing insect repellent and getting rid of stagnant water around your home.”

West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a Culex pipiens mosquito, commonly called a house mosquito, which has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. Common symptoms include fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches. Symptoms may last from a few days to a few weeks.

IDPH advises residents to "Fight the Bite" by taking these precautions to prevent mosquito bites:

• 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.
  • 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 larvae.

Monitoring for West Nile virus in Illinois includes laboratory tests for mosquito batches, dead crows, blue jays, robins and other perching birds, as well as testing humans with West Nile virus-like symptoms. People who observe a sick or dying crow, blue jay, robin or other perching bird should contact their local health department, which will determine if the bird will be picked up for testing.

Heartland virus

Also on Wednesday, IDPH said another insect-borne illness, Heartland virus, was found in Lone Star ticks in Kankakee county. Nearly all patients found to have Heartland virus are hospitalized, and symptoms include fever, headaches, fatigue, muscle aches and diarrhea.

“Bites from ticks can result in multiple types of infections, which can cause serious illness in some people,” Ezike said. “It is important to take precautions and protect yourself from tick bites by using insect repellent and checking regularly for ticks when in wooded areas or high grass.”

Last summer, a Kankakee County resident tested positive for Heartland virus, the first case ever reported in Illinois. In response to that human case, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) collaborated with the Illinois Natural History Survey Medical Entomology Laboratory (INHS MEL) and Kankakee County Health Department to conduct the first environmental health investigation to a novel tick-borne disease case. Ticks were collected from the area and sent to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for Heartland virus testing.

Heartland virus was first identified in 2009 when two Missouri farmers who had been bitten by ticks were admitted to a hospital, IDPH said. Although most people infected have fully recovered, a few have died. There are no vaccines to prevent Heartland virus infections.

Ticks are commonly found on the tips of grasses and shrubs. Lone Star ticks are found throughout Illinois. Ticks crawl ― they cannot fly or jump. The tick will wait on the grass or shrub for a person or animal to walk by and then quickly climb aboard. Some ticks will attach quickly and others will wander, looking for places like the ear, or other areas where the skin is thinner.
Simple tips to avoid tick bites include:

• Wear light-colored, protective clothing — long-sleeved shirts, pants, boots or sturdy shoes, and a head covering. Treat clothing with products containing 0.5 percent permethrin.
• Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE). For assistance selecting the appropriate insect repellent, see EPA’s helpful search tool.
• Walk in the center of trails so grass, shrubs, and weeds do not brush against you.
• Check yourself, children, other family members, and pets for ticks every two to three hours.
• Remove any tick promptly by grasping it with tweezers, as close to the skin as possible and gently, but firmly, pulling it straight out. Wash your hands and the tick bite site with soap and water.