Will County warns of mosquitoes carrying West Nile

Will County — The Will County Health Department issued a warning Friday that mosquitos with West Nile virus have been discovered in multiple Will County communities.

No human cases of West Nile have been reported as of Friday, but mosquitos with West Nile have been confirmed in Joliet, Homer Glen, Shorewood and Lockport. Additionally, a dead bird found in Crest Hill tested positive for West Nile, according to a news release from the health department.

“West Nile virus can lead to serious illness, especially for our Illinois seniors and people with weakened immune systems,” Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in the release. “With the virus appearing earlier this year following a milder winter and spring, I urge everyone to fight the bite in their communities. Please reduce exposures, wear insect repellent while outdoors and report any standing water around your community where mosquitoes can breed.”

The county health department cautioned residents to take measures to protect themselves from mosquito bites and mosquito-borne illness.

West Nile symptoms

The most common symptoms of West Nile virus are mild, flu-like conditions including fever, headaches, body and joint aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or rashes. About 20% of people infected with West Nile will experience these symptoms briefly before making a full recovery, although weakness and fatigue can last much longer, according to the release.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that 1 in 150 people who contract West Nile can develop severe illness that affects the central nervous system, including inflammation of the brain or inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord, according to the release. These conditions can be long-lasting or potentially fatal if not properly treated.

Although severe illness is rare, it is a greater risk for people older than 60 and individuals with medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension and kidney disease or who have received an organ transplant.

Prevention from exposure

The best way to avoid contracting West Nile is to avoid mosquito bites.

The IDPH provides a list of tips to do this, including making sure doors and windows have tight, undamaged screens; keeping doors and windows shut; and eliminating or refreshing standing water on one’s property including in bird baths, pond and wading pools.

Residents also can repel mosquitos by covering exposed skin and applying insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535.

Finally, residents are encouraged to report any sources of water that have been standing stagnant for more than a week such as roadside ditches, flooded yards or other locations, which may provide breeding ground for mosquitos.

According to the IDPH, local authorities may be able to provide insect larvicide to kill mosquito eggs and larvae.

Although West Nile can be transmitted through birds to other mosquitos, which can spread the disease to humans, there is no evidence that birds can transmit the disease to humans directly, according to the IDPH. Nevertheless, the CDC and Will County Health Department recommend avoiding bare-handed contact with any dead animal, especially ones that could be infected with a potentially deadly virus.

The health department asks residents who find a dead bird on their property to call the Will County Health Department’s Environmental Health West Nile Surveillance Hotline at 815-740-7631 to determine if the bird can be tested.

If a resident has to handle a dead bird, it is recommended that they wear gloves and use a shovel to move the animal.

More information on West Nile virus and how to avoid it can be found on the CDC website or through the IDPH’s West Nile virus page.