Morgan County bird positive for
West Nile virus         

[AUG. 2, 2005]  SPRINGFIELD -- A dead blue jay found in Morgan County has tested positive for West Nile virus. Dr. Eric E. Whitaker, state public health director, made the announcement Monday.

The blue jay was found July 25 in Jacksonville, and on Monday the Morgan County Health Department determined that the bird was positive for the virus.

A total of two humans, 43 birds and 335 mosquito samples from 25 counties have tested positive since surveillance for the mosquito-borne disease began on May 1.

The first two human cases of West Nile virus were reported July 29. They were a 55-year-old man from Kane County with West Nile encephalitis and a 55-year-old man from suburban Cook County with West Nile disease.

In 2004, Illinois recorded 60 human cases of West Nile disease, including four deaths, and in 2003, there were 54 human cases, including one death. The state led the nation in 2002 with 884 human cases of West Nile disease and 67 deaths.

West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. Most people with the virus have no clinical symptoms of illness, but some may become ill three to 14 days after the bite of an infected mosquito.

Only about two people out of 10 who are bitten by an infected mosquito will experience any illness. Illness from West Nile disease is usually mild and includes fever, headache and body aches, but serious illness, such as encephalitis and meningitis, and death are possible. Persons older than 50 years of age have the highest risk of severe disease.

Whitaker said individuals can reduce their risk of West Nile illness and other mosquito-borne diseases by taking these precautions:

• Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn.

• When outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt, and apply insect repellent that includes DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.

• 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 that can support mosquito breeding, including water in birdbaths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires and any other receptacles.

• In communities where there are organized mosquito control programs, contact your municipal government to report 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 at www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/wnv.htm. People can also call [phone] Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for information.

[Illinois Department of Public Health news release]

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