SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The number of West Nile disease cases in Illinois this year increased to 53 today with the laboratory confirmation that a DeKalb County woman had the mosquito-borne disease this past summer.

Dr. Eric E. Whitaker, state public health director, said the 72-year-old woman, who became ill Aug. 12 and was briefly hospitalized, had West Nile fever.

The state's West Nile disease cases this year, which include one death - a 78-year-old woman from suburban Cook County - are from the city of Chicago (4), suburban Cook County (16), DuPage County (3), Madison County (2), Piatt (3), Sangamon County (4), Whiteside (3), Will County (3), DeKalb (2) and one each from Bureau, Champaign, Lake, LaSalle, Macon, Macoupin, McDonough, McLean, Richland, Rock Island, St. Clair, Vermilion and Winnebago counties.

In 2002, Illinois had the most West Nile disease cases in the nation with 884 and 66 deaths.

Additional information about West Nile virus can be found on the Department's Web site http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/wnv.htm or by calling the Department's West Nile virus hotline at 1-866-369-9710.