Latest news with #IllinoisDepartmentOfPublicHealth
CBS News
a day ago
- Health
- CBS News
Batch of mosquitoes test positive for West Nile virus in Evanston, Illinois
A batch of mosquitoes in Evanston, Illinois, have tested positive for West Nile virus. The North Shore Mosquito Abatement District said the batch was collected on Monday in a trap and tested positive for the virus on Thursday. So far this year, the virus has been found in 17 Illinois counties, including Cook, Will, and DuPage. The first human case of the year was confirmed in Southern Illinois, where the person was hospitalized due to complications from the virus. Symptoms of West Nile virus While most people infected with the virus do not feel sick, about one in five will develop a fever and flu-like symptoms. Other symptoms include body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. Severe illness from the West Nile virus can occur in about one in 150 people and is most likely to occur in people over age 55 or with weakened immune systems. Remember the three R's The Illinois Department of Public Health advised the public to utilize the three R's for mosquitoes — reduce exposure, repel using insect repellent, and report any standing water seen for longer than a week, as it can breed the virus. The public is also advised to wear loose-fitting clothing and, if possible, avoid peak mosquito feeding times, typically around dusk and dawn.
CBS News
4 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
First human West Nile virus case of 2025 for Illinois reported
The year's first human case of West Nile virus for 2025 in Illinois has been detected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that a person downstate, specifically in Southern Illinois, was hospitalized due to complications from West Nile. This marks the earliest a West Nile case has been confirmed in Illinois since 2016. Last year, there were 69 confirmed human cases of West Nile in Illinois, including three deaths. The worst West Nile outbreak in the U.S. to date came in 2002. That year in Illinois alone, there were 884 cases across the state, and 67 deaths, with 42 of them in Cook County. When it comes to the West Nile virus, the Illinois Department of Public Health stresses the three R's — reduce your exposure, repel using insect repellent, and report any standing water seen longer than a week, which can breed the virus. The public is advised to wearing loose-fitting clothing, and, if possible, avoid peak mosquito feeding times, typically around dusk and dawn. Severe illness from the West Nile virus can occur in about one in 150 people and is most likely to occur in people over age 55 or with weakened immune systems.
