September 27, 2001

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Public Health today reported that dead crows found in Lake and Will counties have tested positive for West Nile virus, increasing to five the number of Illinois counties where the virus has been detected.

The six crows collected in Lake and Will counties -- three in each county -- and eight other dead crows found in the Chicago area were identified as preliminarily positive by the Illinois Department of Agriculture lab in Galesburg. These birds bring to 96 the total number of Illinois birds that have either been confirmed (4) or tested preliminarily positive (92) for West Nile virus since it was first detected in the state on Sept. 5.

No human cases of West Nile disease have been reported.

The dead birds were found between Sept. 13 and Sept. 20 in the following locations: Chicago, Cook County, seven crows; Crete, Will County, two crows; Deerfield, Lake County, one crow; Deer Park, Lake County, one crow; Highland Park, Lake County, one crow; Shorewood, Will County, one crow; and Wheeling, Cook County, one crow.

In addition to dead birds, 12 pools of mosquitoes collected in suburban Cook County between Aug. 24 and Sept. 18 have been either confirmed or are preliminarily positive for the virus. Confirmatory tests by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are pending on nine pools of mosquitoes.

(Editor's note: A complete recap of the positive birds and mosquitoes identified so far in Illinois is on the Department's Web site at www.idph.state.il.us. Go to the West Nile virus page and select "surveillance.")