SPRINGFIELD, IL – A Chicago man and a suburban Cook County woman are the latest Illinois victims of the mosquito-borne West Nile encephalitis that has now claimed the lives of 45 persons in the state, the Illinois Department of Public Health today announced. In addition, the number of human cases of West Nile disease increased to 714 with the report of eight new laboratory positive cases.

Dr. John R. Lumpkin, state public health director, said a 70-year-old Chicago man became ill Sept. 15, was admitted to the hospital two days later and died Oct. 4; and an 81-year-old south suburban Cook County woman reported symptoms and was admitted to a hospital Sept. 29 and died Oct. 16. Both victims had been reported by the Department earlier this month as West Nile encephalitis cases.

The state's 43 other fatalities have been have been from Chicago (10), suburban Cook County (16), DuPage County (2), Fulton County (2), Sangamon County (3) and one each from Effingham, Jackson, Kane, Kendall, Knox, Lake, Macon, Madison, Moultrie and White counties.

The eight new cases of West Nile disease include two from Chicago and one each from Clinton, Fulton, Kendall, Madison, McLean and Peoria counties. So far this year, human cases of West Nile disease have been reported in 48 of the state's 102 counties. Cases range in age from 3 months to 97 years; the average age is 57.

Cases announced today follow:

CHICAGO: An age unknown man, whose hospital information is not known; and a 76-year-old man, whose hospital information is not known.

CLINTON COUNTY: A 37-year-old man, whose hospital information is not known.

FULTON COUNTY: A 34-year-old man with West Nile encephalitis, who was not hospitalized.

KENDALL COUNTY: A 37-year-old man, whose hospital information is not known.

MADISON COUNTY: A 52-year-old man, whose hospital information is not known.

MCLEAN COUNTY: An 83-year-old woman, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis.

PEORIA COUNTY: A 69-year-old woman, who was not hospitalized. 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 to continue 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 – more – add 2 daylight hours 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.