SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Illinois Department of Public Health today reported a northern Cook County woman has been identified as the state's 19th case of West Nile disease this year.

Dr. Eric E. Whitaker, state public health director, said the 61-year-old woman was hospitalized Sept. 12 with West Nile encephalitis and remains under hospital care. She is the seventh Cook County case of West Nile disease this year compared with 634 in 2002.

The state's other cases of the mosquito-borne disease this year have been from the city of Chicago (2), suburban Cook County (4), DuPage County (2), Sangamon County (3) and one each from and Champaign, DeKalb, LaSalle, Macon, Macoupin, Piatt and Whiteside counties.

In 2002, Illinois led the nation in West Nile disease cases with 884 and 66 deaths and, as of this date last year, the state had counted 473 human cases and 25 deaths.

Dr. Whitaker has advised people to take simple, common sense precautions to avoid mosquito bites and to protect themselves from West Nile illness. He also reminded Illinoisans that the mosquito season will continue until there is a sustained, hard frost that usually occurs in late October.

The suggested precautions include:

• Whenever outdoors between dusk and dawn, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Loose-fitting, light colored clothing is best.
• When it is necessary to be outdoors, apply insect repellent as indicated on the repellent label. The more DEET a product contains, the longer the repellent can protect against mosquito bites. However, concentrations higher than 50 percent do not increase the length of protection. For most situations, 10 percent to 25 percent DEET is adequate. Apply repellents to clothes whenever possible; apply sparingly to exposed skin if label permits. Consult a physician before using repellents on young children.
• Check residential screens, including those on porches and patios, for tears and other openings. Repair, as necessary, to prevent mosquito entry.
• Eliminate stagnant water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires and any other receptacles in which mosquitoes might breed.

Dr. Whitaker said - while there is reason for concern - few people (about 1 in 150) will develop serious illness if bitten by an infected mosquito.

WNV is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird.

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

A total of 161 birds, 297 mosquito pools and 17 horses have tested positive in 2003 for West Nile virus in 61 Illinois counties since surveillance began May 1. Last year, West Nile activity was reported in 100 of the state's 102 counties.

West Nile virus has been detected in 44 states in 2003 and more than 4,000 human cases have been reported in 37 states, including Illinois.

The Culex or house mosquito, which can carry West Nile virus or the St. Louis encephalitis virus, breeds in warm, stagnant water and increases in numbers early in the summer.

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.