SPRINGFIELD, IL – The total number of Illinois human cases of West Nile virus illness now stands at 211 with the addition today of 46 new cases of the mosquito-transmitted disease, the Illinois Department of Public Health has announced.

Human cases have now been identified in 21 of the state's 102 counties, including four counties – Crawford, Kane, Lake and Stephenson – that today reported their first cases. There have been nine deaths attributable to West Nile infection.

"How long this outbreak will continue depends on many factors, including the weather and the extent to which we can adequately control the mosquito population," said Dr. John R. Lumpkin, state public health director. "The biggest influence on human cases, however, will be whether or not people follow the precautions that have been recommended, such as using repellent and doing the common sense things they can do to avoid mosquito bites."

Precautions that have been suggested 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 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.

The new cases reported today include 13 from the city of Chicago, 25 from suburban Cook County, two from St. Clair County, and one each from Crawford, Effingham, Kane, Lake, Stephenson and Will counties.

CHICAGO: An 87-year-old man, whose hospital information is not known; a 64-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 73-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; a 47-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; a 50-year-old man, who was hospitalized; a 67-year-old woman, who was hospitalized; a 76-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; a 59-year-old woman, who was hospitalized; a 43-year-old man, whose hospital information is not known; a 14-year-old girl, who was hospitalized; a 15-year-old boy, who was hospitalized; a 14-year-old girl, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; and a 45-year-old man with West Nile fever, who was not hospitalized.

SUBURBAN (NORTHERN) COOK COUNTY: An 80-year-old man, whose hospital information is not known; a 76-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; a 55-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; a 61-year-old man, who was not hospitalized; a 69-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; a 2-year-old girl, whose hospital information is not known; a 39-year-old woman with West Nile fever, whose hospital information is not known; a 37-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; a 55-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; a 30-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; a 79-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 58-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; an 83-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile fever; and a 32-year-old man, whose hospital information is not known.

SUBURBAN (SOUTHERN) COOK COUNTY: A 21-year-old woman, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 33-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 34-year-old man, who was hospitalized; a 73-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known; a 65-year-old woman, who was hospitalized; a 51-year-old man, who was hospitalized; a 42-year-old woman with West Nile encephalitis, who was not hospitalized; an 82-year-old woman, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; a 60-year-old man, who was hospitalized; 62-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis; and a 37-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known.

CRAWFORD: A 61-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis.

EFFINGHAM COUNTY: A 77-year-old woman with West Nile fever, who was not hospitalized.

KANE COUNTY: A 47-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile encephalitis.

LAKE COUNTY: A 53-year-old woman with West Nile fever, who was not hospitalized.

ST. CLAIR COUNTY: A 39-year-old man, whose hospital information is not known; and a 67-year-old woman, whose hospital information is not known.

STEPHENSON COUNTY: A 41-year-old man with West Nile encephalitis, who was not hospitalized.

WILL COUNTY: A 41-year-old man, who was hospitalized with West Nile fever.

Human cases have been identified in Chicago and 21 Illinois counties: Chicago (47), Clinton County (1), suburban Cook County (116), Crawford County (1), DeKalb County (1), DuPage County (9), Effingham County (3), Ford County (1), Jackson County (2), Kane County (1), Lake County (1), LaSalle County (3), Macoupin County (1), Madison County (4), Montgomery County (1), Moultrie County (1), Sangamon County (1), Shelby County (1), Stark County (1), Stephenson County (1), St. Clair County (6) and Will County (8). The average age of the Illinois cases is 55.1.

The state has reported nine fatalities due to West Nile virus illness – a 67-year-old man from DuPage County; a 67-year-old woman, an 83-year-old woman, an 89-year-old woman and a 92-year-old woman from suburban Cook County; an 83-year-old man and an 82-year-old woman from Chicago; a 71-year-old man from Effingham County; and a 79-year-old woman from Moultrie 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, 3 such as encephalitis or meningitis.

A total of 476 birds, 394 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 humans, 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.