SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Department of Public Health today announced that West Nile virus activity has been reported in Clay and Logan counties, bringing to 53 the number of counties this year with evidence of the mosquito-borne disease.

Dr. Eric E. Whitaker, state public health director, said the state has now counted 10 humans, 178 birds, 630 mosquito pools, two horses and an alpaca with West Nile virus.

In Clay County, mosquitoes collected Aug. 16 and Aug. 20 in Flora were positive for West Nile virus. In Logan County, a dead crow found Monday in Mount Pulaski and a dead blue jay found Tuesday in Lincoln tested positive for West Nile.

The state's West Nile human cases have been from Boone, Clinton, Ford, Jackson, Jo Daviess, Kendall, Rock Island, Sangamon and St. Clair (2) counties.

In 2003, Illinois recorded 54 West Nile disease human cases, including one death, and in 2002, the state led the nation with 884 cases and 66 deaths.

Dr. Whitaker urged people to continue to take simple, common sense precautions to avoid mosquito bites and protect themselves from West Nile disease. These precautions include:

• Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn.
• When outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and apply insect repellent that includes DEET according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on young children.
• Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings.
• Eliminate all sources of standing water that can support mosquito breeding, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires and any other receptacles.

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.

Only about two persons out of 10 who are bitten by an infected mosquito will experience any illness. Although illness from West Nile is usually mild and includes fever, headache and body aches, serious illness and death are possible. Persons over 50 years of age have the highest risk of severe disease.

Additional information about West Nile virus can be found on the Department's Web site at www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/wnv.htm or people can call the Department's West Nile virus hotline (866-369-9710) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.