SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Dr. Eric E. Whitaker, state public health director, today announced three new West Nile disease human cases, including this year's first human case from the Chicago-area.

The cases reported today are -

• A 24-year-old woman from northern Cook County with West Nile encephalitis, who became ill Aug. 14, was hospitalized and has since been released.
• A 41-year-old man from Sangamon County with West Nile fever, who had symptoms Aug. 10, but did not require hospitalization. Besides possible exposure to infected mosquitoes in Illinois, the man also reported travel to Nebraska and North Dakota.
• An 84-year-old man from Piatt County with West Nile fever, who first reported illness Aug. 3, was hospitalized and has since been released.

There have been a total of eight West Nile disease cases reported this year in Illinois - two in Sangamon County and one each in Cook, Champaign, LaSalle, Macoupin, Piatt and Whiteside counties. Last year, Illinois led the nation in West Nile disease cases with 884, including 634 in Cook County, and 66 deaths. At this time in 2002, the Department had reported 268 human cases of West Nile disease and 10 deaths.

Dr. Whitaker continues to urge people to take simple, common sense precautions to avoid mosquito bites and protect themselves from West Nile disease. He also reminded Illinoisans that the mosquito season continues until there is a sustained, hard frost, which 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 porches and patios, for tears and other openings and 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, even 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. 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.

Dr. Whitaker said infections can be mild 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 109 birds, 220 mosquito pools and 10 horses have tested positive in 2003 for West Nile virus in 53 Illinois counties since surveillance for the mosquito-transmitted virus 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 2,500 human cases have been reported in 35 states, including Illinois. Colorado has the most West Nile disease human cases this year with 940 and 11 deaths.

In Illinois, the mosquito-borne disease was first confirmed in birds in September 2001 and the state's first-ever human case was reported in August 2002.

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.