First human case of West Nile virus this year reported in Chicago area

CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Public Health announced its first human case of West Nile virus this year.

IDPH said on Wednesday, July 17 that a suburban Cook County resident in their 60s tested positive for the mosquito-born illness.

According to the state’s health department, positive results for West Nile virus have impacted 33 Illinois counties in 2024. In 2023, the state reported 119 human cases in Illinois, up from 34 in 2022.

IDPH linked six human deaths across Illinois to the virus in 2023.

Earlier this year, in May, a bird tested positive for the West Nile Virus, accounting for the state’s first confirmed case in 2024.

“Summer in Illinois means mosquitos, and these mosquitos increase our risk of contracting vector-borne illnesses like West Nile Virus,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “We encourage all Illinois residents to ‘Fight the Bite’ and protect themselves and their loved ones from insect bites that can cause potentially serious illnesses.”

Health officials reminded Illinoisans to prevent West Nile virus by practicing the ‘3 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 years old. 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.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: West Nile Virus found in mosquitoes in DuPage County

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