Will County resident tests positive for West Nile Virus

WILL COUNTY, Ill. — Health officials in Illinois reported Tuesday the first human case of West Nile Virus in Will County.

The Illinois Department of Public Health said the person is in their 70s and began to feel symptoms in July.

This is at least the fifth human case of West Nile in Illinois.

So far in 2024, there have been 1,318 West Nile-positive mosquito batches and 25 positive birds from 53 counties throughout the state. In Will County, mosquitoes trapped in Joliet, Homer Glen, Shorewood, Lockport, Manhattan, New Lenox, Bolingbrook, Mokena, Frankfort and Plainfield have tested positive for WNV this summer. Additionally, the first dead bird to test positive for WNV was collected in Crest Hill.

IDPH says West Nile Virus typically causes mild, flu-like symptoms. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most people (8 out of 10) infected with West Nile virus do not develop any symptoms. About 1 in 5 people who are infected develop a fever with other symptoms such as headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash.

Most people who develop symptoms recover completely, but fatigue and weakness can last for weeks or months, IDPH said.

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.

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