SPRINGFIELD, IL – Forty-four new laboratory positive cases of West Nile virus illness, including the deaths of two downstate residents, were announced today by the Illinois Department of Public Health. So far this year, Illinois has reported nine deaths among its 165 cases of West Nile virus illness.

Dr. John R. Lumpkin, state public health director, said the latest deaths were a 71-year-old man from Effingham County, who died Sunday (Sept. 1), and a 79-year-old woman from Moultrie County, who died Aug. 29. As has been the case with the other deaths in Illinois, the two had West Nile encephalitis.

"Our message of prevention remains the same – follow some simple precautions to reduce the risk of mosquito bites," said Dr. John R. Lumpkin, state public health director. "This is a relatively rare disease, infecting about 1 in 100,000 people in Illinois, and there are steps each of us can take to protect ourselves."

These include –

• 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. Loose-fitting, light colored clothing is best.
• Use mosquito repellent containing 25 percent to 35 percent DEET to be outdoors, 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.

The new cases reported today include 13 from the city of Chicago, 21 from suburban Cook County, two from Effingham County, and one each from Clinton, DeKalb, DuPage, LaSalle, Macoupin, Madison, Moultrie and St. Clair counties:

CHICAGO: A 77-year-old man, whose hospital information is not known; a 71-year-old man, whose hospital information is not known; a 70-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; an 83-year-old woman, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 73-year-old woman, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 79-year-old woman, who was hospitalized; a 61-year-old woman, who's hospital information is not known; a 41-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; a 37-year-old man, whose hospital information is not known; a 35-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; a 60-year-old man with West Nile encephalitis, whose hospital information is not known; a 45-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; and a 79-year-old man, who was hospitalized.

SUBURBAN (NORTHERN) COOK COUNTY: An 84-year-old man, whose hospital information is not known; an 80-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; a 90-year-old man, whose hospital information is not known; a 19-year-old man with West Nile encephalitis, whose hospital information is not known; a 43-year-old woman, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 48-year-old man, whose hospital information is not known; a 67-year-old woman, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 49-year-old woman, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 33-year-old woman, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 43-year-old woman with West Nile encephalitis, whose hospital information is not known; a 78-year-old man, who was hospitalized; a 50-year-old woman, who was not hospitalized; and a 38-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis.

SUBURBAN (SOUTHERN) COOK COUNTY: A 51-year-old woman, who was not hospitalized; a 79-year-old woman, who was hospitalized with West Nile fever; a 34-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 64-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; a 67-year-old woman, who was hospitalized; a 50-year-old man, who was hospitalized; a 29-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; and a 67-year-old woman, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis.

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

DEKALB COUNTY: A 55-year-old man with West Nile fever, who was not hospitalized.

DUPAGE COUNTY: A 73-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known.

EFFINGHAM COUNTY: A 71-year-old man, who died Sunday (Sept. 1) with West Nile encephalitis; and a 48-year-old woman, who was hospitalized.

LASALLE COUNTY: A 40-year-old man, who was not hospitalized.

MACOUPIN COUNTY: A 73-year-old man, who was hospitalized.

MADISON COUNTY: An 89-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known.

MOULTRIE COUNTY: A 79-year-old woman, who died Aug. 29 with West Nile encephalitis.

ST. CLAIR COUNTY: A 71-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known.

Human cases have been identified in Chicago and 17 Illinois counties: Chicago (34), Clinton County (1); suburban Cook County (91), DeKalb County (1), DuPage County (9), Effingham County (2), Ford County (1), Jackson County (2), LaSalle County (3), Macoupin County (1), Madison County (4), Montgomery County (1), Moultrie County (1), Sangamon County (1), Shelby County (1), Stark County (1), St. Clair County (4) and Will County (7). The average age of the Illinois cases is 56.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A 44-year-old man from Sangamon County, who was reported as a case on Aug. 26, has been deleted from the list. There was an error in reading his laboratory results.

Previous to today's reported fatalities, there have been seven other deaths due to West Nile virus illness in the state: a 67-year-old man from DuPage County, a 67-year-old woman from suburban Cook County, an 83-year-old man from Chicago, a 92-year-old woman from suburban Cook County, an 83-year-old woman from suburban Cook County, an 82-year-old woman from Chicago and an 89-year-old woman from suburban Cook County.

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 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 468 birds, 393 mosquito batches and 62 horses in 92 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 begins to increase in numbers early in the summer. Hot, humid weather conditions in recent weeks have been ideal for breeding the Culex mosquito and, as a result, there has been a jump in the number of positive birds, horses and mosquitoes.

Hospitals and infectious disease physicians have been notified of the increase in detection of birds, mosquitoes and horses with West Nile virus and reminded to order tests for arbovirus infections for patients with appropriate symptoms.

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. West Nile virus illness in Illinois has been reported in people ranging in age from 2 to 92, but serious 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.