Community Corner

Northbrook Man First Illinois Death From West Nile Virus In 2011

The Cook County Department of Public Health reported that the state's first West Nile fatality in 2011 was a Northbrook man in his 60s who had underlying health problems.

A Northbrook man in his 60s was the first person to die of West Nile Virus in Illinois in 2011, according to the Cook County Department of Public Health

The man had underlying health conditions that contributed to his death, said Department of Health spokesperson Amy Poore.

As the end of mosquito season nears, Poore said that the Department of Health continues to see mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile Virus throughout the suburbs--and residents should take precautions. 

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"We continue to do the surveillance, and we continue to have the same message: use DEET when outside from dusk to dawn, and watch out for standing water," she said.

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Poore emphasized the fact that there have been incidences of West Nile Virus throughout Cook County, not just in Northbrook. All told, six people have contracted the virus this year, the Illinois Department of Public Health reports.

Outbreaks of the disease are particularly common in northern Cook County, however, according to David Zazra, communications manager for the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District. 

“The climate is ideal,” . Typically, the season for mosquitoes begins in May and ends in October as temperatures cool.

The first two human cases reported in 2011 were a  and a Franklin County man in his 30s. Those cases were reported on Aug. 19.

In 2010, Illinois had 61 human cases and four deaths. The cases were spread through 30 of the state's 102 counties. The worst year for West Nile in Illinois was 2002, when there were 884 confirmed cases and 67 deaths.

So far this year, 17 counties have reported mosquito batches, birds or people testing positive for West Nile virus, state health officials said. The first West Nile virus positive results this year were collected on June 8 and included two birds from LaSalle County.

West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. The virus is carried specifically by the Culex mosquito, otherwise known as the house mosquito, according to Zazra.  

“These are container breeders, and they prefer really nasty containers of water that could be as small as a bottle cap,” he said.

According to the U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly 80 percent of people infected by West Nile Virus do not show any symptoms. Milder symptoms, including fever, headache, body aches, nausea and vomiting, are common among the roughly 20 percent who do show symptoms.

“Let’s say you were bit by a mosquito and then three to 10 days afterward you start feeling like you have a headache or a fever, definitely go see a doctor,” Zazra said.

While the vast majority of infected people show no symptoms, about one in 150 may develop severe symptoms. These can include high fever, disorientation, coma, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis, according to the CDC.

People older than 50 are at higher risk for severe illness from West Nile Virus.

State health officials said that the best way to prevent West Nile is to reduce the number of mosquitoes around a home and to avoid mosquito bites:

  • 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 contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR 3535, 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 bird baths, 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.

For more information visit the Illinois Department of Public Health's website.


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