2 Suburban Men Treated for West Nile

Two 55-year-old men – one from Kane County and the other from suburban Cook -have tested positive for the West Nile virus, the first cases in the state this year, officials said Friday.

More cases are expected this year, so people should take precautions to avoid getting bit by mosquitoes, health officials said.

“I think it’s safe to say that we can expect to see more cases in Illinois over the next month -definitely,” Kane County Health Department spokesman Michael Isaacson said.

Both men are recovering. Their names and hometowns were not released.

The Kane County man was otherwise healthy before he became ill in mid-July, officials said. He received a medical evaluation July 22 after having symptoms of fever, confusion, rash and general malaise.

Isaacson said the man was in good condition and was released from a hospital Friday. The Illinois Department of Public Health laboratory conducted the testing and diagnosed him with what is being classified as West Nile virus encephalitis.

The Cook County man contracted the virus after becoming ill June 29, officials said. The man took a four-day camping trip outside the state before falling ill, so it can’t be determined where he caught the virus. He remains in the hospital.

Cindy Gross, an epidemiologist with the Kane County Health Department, wasn’t surprised that a human was diagnosed with the disease.

“We certainly had evidence of birds and mosquitoes that were affected,” she said. “If you’re exposed and if you’re around mosquitoes and not using a repellent, it’s just a matter of time to have a human case.”

As of July 26, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in the United States this year there have been 61 human cases and two deaths.

One reason officials expect more cases in Illinois is because dry weather is an ideal breeding ground for the “culex” type of mosquitoes, which are hardly noticeable when they draw blood.

“You can be bitten by a West Nile virus mosquito and not even know it,” Gross said.

Kane County recently discovered more mosquito pools that tested positive for the virus Thursday – two in Geneva and one each in Aurora and South Elgin, Issacson said.

The department’s surveillance program, under way since May 15, also identified a dead American crow that was discovered infected Monday and a total of 12 mosquito batches that have tested positive for West Nile virus.

State health department officials said they are seeing some significant West Nile activity in mosquitoes and birds in many parts of the state, especially in northeastern Illinois.

In 2004, Illinois recorded 60 human cases of West Nile disease, including four deaths, and in 2003, there were 54 human cases, including one death. The state led the nation in 2002 with 884 human cases of West Nile disease and 67 deaths.

Isaccson said the best ways to protect yourself are to wear insect repellent and eliminate all sources of standing water, such as bird baths, that can support mosquito breeding.

The virus 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.

Those 50 and older have the highest risk of severe disease.

For more information about the virus, visit www.idph.state.il.envhealth/wnv.htm or www.kanehealth.com. A West Nile hotline also is available at (866) 369-9710 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.