SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Public
Health (IDPH) has confirmed the first West Nile virus positive mosquito batch
reported in Illinois for 2015. St. Clair County Health Department
employees collected a positive mosquito batch on May 26, 2015, in O’Fallon.
“West Nile virus activity is largely dependent on the
weather and with the increased temperatures we’ve been seeing in Southern
Illinois, mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus are becoming active,” said IDPH
Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D. “We want to remind people not to be
complacent. Take precautions to protect yourself by wearing insect
repellent and getting rid of standing water around your home.”
Surveillance for West Nile virus in Illinois includes
laboratory tests on mosquito batches, dead crows, blue jays, robins and other
perching birds, as well as testing sick horses and 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.
West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a
mosquito that 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. However, four out of five people
infected with West Nile virus will not show any symptoms. In rare cases,
severe illness including meningitis or encephalitis, or even death, can
occur. People older than 50 and immunocompromised individuals are at
higher risk for severe illness from West Nile Virus.
The first West Nile virus positive results in 2014 were a
positive bird in Henry County collected on May 29, 2014, and a positive
mosquito batch in Madison County collected on May 30, 2014. Last year, 50
counties in Illinois reported a West Nile virus positive mosquito batch, bird
and/or human case. For the 2014 season, IDPH reported 44 human cases
(although human cases are underreported), including four deaths. No human
cases of West Nile virus have been reported so far this year.
As temperatures continue to warm up, remember to take
some simple precautions to reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home and
protect yourself from being bitten. Precautions include practicing the
three “R’s” – reduce, repel, and report.
·
REDUCE exposure - minimize being outdoors
when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn. If you
go outside during these times, take precautions. Even if mosquito
numbers seem low, it only takes one bite from an infected mosquito to transmit
the virus.
®
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, especially at night.
®
Eliminate all sources of standing water where
mosquitoes can breed, such as old tires, buckets and other receptacles, or
refresh the water in bird baths, flowerpots and wading pools every couple days.
·
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 dead birds to your local
health department. In communities where there are organized mosquito
control programs, contact your municipal government about areas of stagnant
water in roadside ditches, flooded yards, and similar locations that may
produce mosquitoes.
Additional
information about West Nile virus can be found by logging onto www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-a-z-list/west-nile-virus.
###
Melaney
Arnold
Illinois Department of Public Health
Illinois Department of Public Health
Public
Information Officer
(217) 558-0500
melaney.arnold@illinois.gov
(217) 558-0500
melaney.arnold@illinois.gov
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/IDPH.Illinois
Twitter: www.twitter.com/IDPH
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