First Mosquitoes Test Positive For West Nile In DuPage: IDPH

SPRINGFIELD, IL — Mosquitoes in Wayne tested positive this week for West Nile virus, making them the first to test positive for the virus in Illinois for 2019, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). IDPH confirmed the news Friday morning, a few days after DuPage County Health Department staff collected the positive mosquitoes on May 21 in Wayne, according to a release. However, IDPH said no human cases of the virus have been reported in 2019.

In a release, acting IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said many pools of water are being left behind in backyards, sewers and drains from recent rainfalls.

“As we start to see higher temperatures, we will start to see more West Nile virus activity," Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in a statement. "While we see West Nile virus in Illinois every year, it is important not to become complacent. It’s easy to take precautions to protect yourself by wearing insect repellent and getting rid of standing water around your home.”

West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a Culex pipiens mosquito, known as a house mosquito, after it has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird, IDPH said. Laboratory tests for mosquito batched, dead birds, and sick humans or horses with symptoms of the virus are part of monitoring for West Nile virus across the state, according to IDPH.

Common symptoms include fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches, and may last a few days to a few weeks, IDPH said. However, four out of five people infected with West Nile virus will not show any symptoms, or in rare cases, severe illness including meningitis, encephalitis, or even death, can occur, according to IDPH.

Last year, 74 counties in Illinois reported a West Nile virus positive case among birds, animals and humans, IDPH said, adding that the department reported 176 human cases, including 17 deaths.

IDPH says to "fight the bite" by practicing the three "R's": 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 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 eggs. People who see 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.

More information about West Nile virus can be found on the IDPH website.