First death by West Nile Virus hits Illinois

The victim of the fatal case of WNV was a resident of Lake County, Illinois and was in their 80's. The individual first appeared to display several symptoms in mid-August, and then died shortly after. This is not the only case of WNV in Illinois that proved to be fatal.

Chambana TodayCanvaProSeveral batches of the virus have been reported in mosquitos, birds, horses, and humans alike.

CHICAGO, IL (Chambana Today) – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) recently announced the first alarming death due to West Nile Virus (WNV) and nine other cases confirmed to date this year.

The victim of the fatal case of WNV was a resident of Lake County, Illinois and was in their 80’s. The individual first appeared to display several symptoms in mid-August, and then died shortly after. This is not the only case of WNV in Illinois that proved to be fatal.

“This death – and the six that occurred last year in Illinois – are a stark reminder that West Nile virus poses a serious risk, especially to older people and those with weakened immune systems,” said Director of the IDPH Dr. Sameer Vohra.

The other nine cases were reported to be in Cook County, DuPage, Will, Winnebago and Tazewell counties which seems to raise concern. There have been 119 cases that appeared to be non-fatal reported in 2023 and the youngest reported individual with WNV was only 33 years old. There exists no treatment nor vaccine for the virus, so prevention of infection is of the utmost importance.

The IDPH stresses residents to remember and follow the three “R’s”:

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. The CDC does not recommend use of products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol on children under 3. Consult a physician before using repellents on children under 3.
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.

Several batches of the virus have been reported in mosquitos, birds, horses, and humans alike. The first mosquito cases this year were reported in Cook and Morgan County. For more information on WNV, visit dph.illinois.gov.