First West Nile Case In Mosquitoes Reported In Will County: Officials

WILL COUNTY, IL — The Will County Health Department on Wednesday announced the first reported case of West Nile virus found in mosquitoes, according to a news release from the Health Department.

The mosquitoes were trapped in Mokena May 17. No human cases of West Nile virus have been reported yet this year, health officials said.

“This is the time of year when West Nile virus make its annual appearance,” said Illinois Department of Public Health Acting Director Amaal Tokars. “We remind everyone — and especially older people and those with weakened immune systems — to take precautions to protect themselves from mosquitoes and the viruses they carry by wearing insect repellent and eliminating standing water around their home where mosquitos breed.”

West Nile virus usually causes mild, flu-like symptoms. Around 80 percent of people infected with West Nile virus do not develop any symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The approximately 20 percent who do develop symptoms experience headaches, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea and/or rashes.

But, around 1 in 150 people who are infected develop a severe illness that affects the central nervous system, such as inflammation of the brain or inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, according to the CDC.

State health officials remind 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. 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 light-colored, long-sleeved shirt, and apply an EPA-registered 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.

Additional information about West Nile virus can be found on the Illinois Department of Public Health website.