SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Public Health today announced14 new laboratory positive human cases of West Nile disease, including the first case in Williamson County.

So far this year, there have been 705 cases and 43 deaths from the mosquito-borne disease in 47 of the state's 102 counties. Cases range in age from 3 months to 97 years; the average age is 57.

Illinoisans who died from West Nile encephalitis have been from Chicago (10), suburban Cook County (16), DuPage County (2), Fulton County (2), Sangamon County (3) and one each in Effingham, Jackson, Kane, Kendall, Knox, Lake, Macon, Madison, Moultrie and White counties.

Today's cases include 12 from suburban Cook County and one each from DuPage and Williamson counties.

SUBURBAN (NORTHERN) COOK COUNTY: A 38 year-old woman, who was not hospitalized; and a 44-year-old woman with West Nile fever, who was not hospitalized.

SUBURBAN (SOUTHERN) COOK COUNTY: A 77-year-old woman, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 60-year-old man, who was not hospitalized; a 60-year-old woman with West Nile fever, who was not hospitalized; a 66-year-old man with West Nile fever, who was not hospitalized; a 52-year-old woman with West Nile fever, who was not hospitalized; a 37-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; a 75-year-old man, who was hospitalized; a 71-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; a 52-year-old woman with West Nile fever, who was not hospitalized; and a 79-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile fever.

DUPAGE COUNTY: A 49-year-old man with West Nile fever, who was not hospitalized.

WILLIAMSON COUNTY: A 34-year-old man who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis. A total of 513 birds, 528 mosquito batches and 949 horses in 100 Illinois counties have tested positive this year for the virus since surveillance for the mosquito-transmitted virus began on May 1.

A complete listing of the positive birds, mosquito batches, horses and humans identified so far in Illinois, by county, is available on the Department's Web site at <www.idph.state.il.us>. Go to the West Nile virus page and select "2002" under surveillance.

Although temperatures recently have been at or near freezing in many parts of the state, Dr. Lumpkin reminded Illinoisans it is still important to take steps to reduce the chance of mosquito bites until their area experiences a sustained freeze (27 degrees F or less for several hours) . Until there is a "killing" freeze, some mosquitoes will be present and may bite during warm, fall daylight if the dense vegetation where they hide is disturbed.

People can prevent mosquito bites by staying indoors when mosquitoes are most active, using insect repellent when outdoors when mosquitoes are biting, checking for and repairing any holes in screens and eliminating stagnant water where mosquitoes might breed.

The feeding habits of the Culex or house mosquito, the primary carrier of West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis virus, change in the fall from blood meals, which are used for reproduction, to sugar meals from plants that help sustain them over winter. Other species of mosquitoes, however, may be present and bite until a hard freeze kills them.

During the fall, adult female Culex mosquitoes seek locations, such as sewers, culverts, crawl spaces and caves, where they are protected from extreme cold and can survive the winter.

EDITOR'S NOTE: West Nile disease case updates will be issued on Tuesdays and Thursdays unless there is a fatality or a human case is reported in a county for the first time.

2002 West Nile virus surveillance information can be found on the Department's Web site at www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/wnvsurveillance_data02.htm.