The West Nile Virus has been spotted in more Illinois counties.
The Illinois Department of Health says the mosquito-centric virus has been spotted in 13 counties and two of those cases reported in our region, Washington and Williamson county.
It’s important to note that the state says it hasn’t found any human cases so far this year. In 2023, there were 119 human cases. Six of those cases were fatal.
West Nile Virus can lead to serious illness, especially for Illinois seniors and people with weakened immune systems.
Illinois Department of Public Health the public to “Fight the Bite” by practicing the three “R’s” – reduce, repel, and report.
REDUCE – make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut. Eliminate, or refresh each week, all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires, and any other containers.
REPEL – when outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a light-colored, long-sleeved shirt, and apply an EPA-registered insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, IR 3535, para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.
REPORT – report locations where you see water sitting stagnant for more than a week such as roadside ditches, flooded yards, and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes. The local health department or city government may be able to add larvicide to the water, which will kill any mosquito larvae.