Will County reports first 2024 human case of West Nile Virus in Illinois

Will County — The first human case of West Nile Virus of the year has been diagnosed in Will County.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the individual is in their 70s and first began feeling symptoms of the illness in July.

The human case follows the discovery of impacted mosquito batches in 10 Will County communities. Statewide there have been 1,318 batches of mosquitos tested positive for West Nile, along with 25 identified cases in birds, according to the state health department.

The Will County case is the fifth human West Nile case in Illinois this year. Three of those cases were reported in Cook County and the fifth was in Tazwell County, according to the state health department. Throughout 2023, 119 human cases of West Nile were discovered throughout the state.

“Summer in Illinois means mosquitoes, and these mosquitoes increase our risk of contracting vector-borne illnesses like West Nile Virus,” Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a news release. “We encourage all Illinois residents to ‘fight the bite’ and protect themselves and their loved ones from insect bites that can cause potentially serious illness,” he said.

West Nile Virus usually causes mild, flu-like symptoms, with 80% of infected patients remaining a-symptomatic, and 20% developing a fever and symptoms including head and body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea, or a rash, according to the health department. While most people recover completely, fatigue and weakness can outlast other symptoms for weeks or months.

The state health department also notes that the Centers for Disease Control reports 1 in 150 people who contract West Nile Virus “develop severe illness that affects the central nervous system resulting in encephalitis or meningitis, which are the swelling of the brain or brain and spinal cord membranes.”

Extreme cases are reportedly most common in adults older than 60 and individuals with pre-existing conditions including cancer, diabetes, hypertension, or kidney disease, or if they have received an organ transplant, according to the CDC.

Since there is no vaccine to prevent West Nile Virus, the best strategy to not contract it is to avoid mosquito bites, especially in areas where positive mosquitos have been confirmed. In Will County communities with infected mosquitos include Joliet, Homer Glen, Shorewood, Lockport, Manhattan, New Lenox, Bolingbrook, Mokena, Frankfort, and Plainfield. Additionally, a dead bird with West Nile was found in Crest Hill.

Precautions against the virus

Will County and the state health officials emphasize three ways to avoid West Nile in your community.

• Reduce entry points to homes for mosquitoes by keeping doors and windows tightly closed or well screened and by refreshing any standing water in yards regularly.

• Use insect repellent registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that contains DEET or other bug-repelling ingredients when outside and covering your skin with light-colored clothing when possible.

• Report locations of stagnant, standing water if it untouched in public for more than a week to the health department or city government. Once notified, governments can drain the water or add larvicide to prevent potentially infected mosquitoes from hatching.

Residents can find more information about West Nile Virus in Illinois and how to protect themselves and their families from it at the IDPH website.