SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Public Health today announced 33 new laboratory positive cases of West Nile disease and the death of a Chicago woman from the mosquito-borne disease. So far this year, Illinois has reported 457 cases of West Nile illness and 23 deaths.

Dr. John R. Lumpkin, state public health director, said the most recent death was a 73-year-old woman from Chicago, who was hospitalized Aug. 27 and died Tuesday with West Nile encephalitis. The state's 22 other deaths have been from Chicago (4), suburban Cook County (12) and one each from DuPage, Effingham, Macon, Madison, Moultrie and Sangamon counties.

Today's new cases include 10 from the city of Chicago, 15 from suburban Cook County, three from DuPage County and one each from LaSalle, Madison, Montgomery, Sangamon and Shelby counties.

Dr. Lumpkin also announced the state has provided about $2.5 million to local health departments, including $455,953 today to the Chicago Department of Public Health and $24,450 to the Macon County Health Department, to assist with mosquito control efforts.

The state has previously awarded about $2 million to 20 local health departments – Clinton County Health Department, Cook County Department of Public Health, Cumberland County Health Department, DeKalb County Health Department, DuPage County Health Department, East Side Health District, Edgar County Public Health Department, Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department, Kane County Health Department, Jackson County Health Department, LaSalle County Health Department, Macoupin County Health Department, Madison County Health Department, Montgomery County Health Department, Moultrie County Health Department, Shelby County Health Department, Springfield Department of Public Health, Stark County Health Department, Stephenson County Health Department and Will County Health Department.

Local health departments in areas where there has been a human case of West Nile disease and where the county or municipality has exhausted its mosquito control resources are eligible for these special state funds.

Following are the new cases reported today:

CHICAGO: A 75-year-old woman, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 27-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 42-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 30-year-old man with West Nile encephalitis, who was not hospitalized; a 67-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; an 18-year-old woman, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 39-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; a 66-year-old man, who was hospitalized; a 53-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; and a 42-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis.

SUBURBAN (NORTHERN) COOK COUNTY: A 40-year-old man with West Nile encephalitis, who was not hospitalized; a 59-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 76-year-old man, who was hospitalized; a 57-year-old woman, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 66-year-old man, who was hospitalized; a 39-year-old man, who was not hospitalized; a 73-year-old man with West Nile encephalitis, whose hospital information is not known; a 44-year-old woman, who was not hospitalized; a 77-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; and a 68-year-old woman, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis.

SUBURBAN (SOUTHERN) COOK COUNTY: A 9-year-old boy, who was hospitalized; a 77-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 43-year-old woman with West Nile fever, who was not hospitalized; a 63-year-old woman, who was hospitalized; and a 77-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis.

DUPAGE COUNTY: A 34-year-old woman, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 78-year-old woman, who was not hospitalized; and a 60-year-old woman, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis.

LASALLE COUNTY: A 45-year-old woman with West Nile fever, whose hospital information is not known.

MADISON COUNTY: A 39-year-old woman, who was hospitalized.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY: A 58-year-old woman, who was hospitalized.

SANGAMON COUNTY: A 53-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis.

SHELBY COUNTY: A 47-year-old woman with West Nile fever, who was not hospitalized.

Human cases range in age from 3 months to 97 years and have been identified in Chicago and 33 Illinois counties: Chicago (120), Clark County (1), Clinton County (2), suburban Cook County (233), Crawford County (2), Cumberland County (2), DeKalb County (1), DuPage County (24), Edgar County (1), Effingham County (4), Ford County (1), Henderson County (1), Jackson County (5), Jasper County (1), Kane County (2), Kankakee County (1), Lake County (1), LaSalle County (7), Macon County (1), Macoupin County (1), Madison County (7), McHenry County (1), McLean County (1), Montgomery County (3), Moultrie County (1), Rock Island County (1), Sangamon County (5), Shelby County (2), Stark County (1), Stephenson County (1), St. Clair County (7), Vermilion County (1), Will County (14) and Winnebago County (1). The average age of the Illinois cases is 56.

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.

Dr. Lumpkin continued to urge Illinoisans to take the following steps to reduce the chance of mosquito bites until their area experiences a hard frost:

• Avoid being outdoors at dawn, dusk and early evening when mosquitoes are most active. If outdoors at these times, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt to cover as much of the skin as possible. Loose-fitting, light colored clothing is best.
• Use insect/mosquito repellent containing 25 percent to 35 percent DEET when outdoors when mosquitoes are biting, applied sparingly to exposed skin or clothing, as indicated on the repellent label. Consult a physician before using repellents on young children.
• Check for and repair any holes or tears in residential screens, including porches and patios.
• Eliminate stagnant water in bird baths, ponds, flower pots, wading pools, old tires and any other receptacles in which mosquitoes might breed.

Dr. Lumpkin said most people who get infected with West Nile virus have either no symptoms or mild symptoms, but a few individuals may develop a more severe form of the disease, such as encephalitis or meningitis.

A total of 506 birds, 528 mosquito batches and 249 horses in 97 Illinois counties have tested positive this year for the virus since surveillance for the mosquito-transmitted virus began on May 1.

The Culex or house mosquito, which can carry West Nile virus or St. Louis encephalitis virus, breeds in warm, stagnant water and remains active and biting until there is a hard frost.

Most people infected with West Nile virus have no clinical symptoms of illness, but some may become ill three to 14 days after the bite of an infected mosquito. Infections can be mild and include fever, headache and body aches, or severe and marked by headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, convulsions, muscle weakness, paralysis and, rarely, death. Serious West Nile virus illness is most often present in individuals 50 years of age or older.

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.