SPRINGFIELD, IL – The death of a 49-year-old Jefferson County man in August is among 11 cases of West Nile disease announced today by the Illinois Department of Public Health. So far this year, there have been 48 deaths and 738 cases of the mosquito-borne disease.

Dr. John R. Lumpkin, state public health director, said the Jefferson County man became ill Aug. 21, was admitted to the hospital the same day and died Aug. 25 with what has now been identified as West Nile encephalitis. He said the original Department laboratory results were inconclusive, but tests recently completed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed West Nile illness.

This is the first human case in Jefferson County, which becomes the 49th county with a reported case since the beginning of August.

Fatalities from this year's West Nile epidemic now exceed the number of deaths in 1975 linked to St. Louis encephalitis during the last major outbreak in the state of a mosquito-transmitted disease. That year, there were 47 deaths and 578 cases attributable to St. Louis encephalitis.

The state's other fatalities this year have been have been from Chicago (11), suburban Cook County (17), DuPage County (3), Fulton County (3), Sangamon County (3) and one each from Effingham, Jackson, Kane, Kendall, Knox, Lake, Macon, Madison, Moultrie and White counties.

Dr. Lumpkin said colder weather has most likely ended the threat of West Nile disease for this year, but more cases are expected as laboratory results are received.

West Nile disease cases reported today include eight from suburban Cook County, and one each from Jefferson, Macon and Will counties.

SUBURBAN (NORTHERN) COOK COUNTY: A 73-year-old woman, who was not hospitalized; a 40-year-old woman, who was not hospitalized; a 43-year-old man, whose hospital information is not known; a 51-year-old man with West Nile fever, who was not hospitalized; and a 59-year-old man with West Nile fever, who was not hospitalized.

SUBURBAN (SOUTHERN) COOK COUNTY: A 76-year-old woman, who was not hospitalized; a 55-year-old woman with West Nile fever, who was not hospitalized; and a 68-year-old woman, who was not hospitalized.

JEFFERSON COUNTY: A 49-year-old man who died Aug. 25 with West Nile encephalitis

MACON COUNTY: An 82-year-old woman, who was hospitalized with West Nile fever.

WILL COUNTY: A 42-year-old man with West Nile fever, who was not hospitalized.

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.

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.