Potentially Severe Mosquito-borne Illness Confirmed in Illinois

It was simply a matter of time. With the number of mosquitos that seem to take over Illinois and Missouri during the summertime, the fact that a potentially severe mosquito-borne illness is now confirmed in the area should not come as a surprise.

The Illinois Department of Public Health said in a press release today that the first human case of West Nile Virus has been confirmed in an Illinois resident in their 60's who lives in Cook County. They say the symptoms began in mid-June and have now been confirmed by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

It's worth noting that the first case of West Nile in Illinois was confirmed last year in late June and eventually the state would suffer six human deaths.

“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.

The Illinois West Nile Virus Dashboard shows there are positive results for this illness in mosquitos now in 33 different counties.

How can you know if you have West Nile virus?

The symptoms can include fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches, but the state of Illinois says 4 out of 5 people with West Nile will not show any symptoms. It's those who have vulnerable immune systems plus the very old and young that are most at risk for West Nile becoming a serious illness.