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For Immediate Release
Date: September 9, 2016
Contact: Leslie Piotrowski
(847) 377-8055
Hannah Goering
(847) 377-8099
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Waukegan, Ill.
– The Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center is reporting
the first confirmed human case of West Nile virus in Lake County in 2016. A
resident of Ingleside was hospitalized in late August and discharged in early
September.
In
addition to the human case, 84 pools (batches) of mosquitoes and two birds have
tested positive for West Nile virus in the county thus far this year. The
Health Department is continuing to urge people to take precautions against
mosquito bites.
"This
is the time of year when we see human cases of West Nile virus,” said Mark
Pfister, the Health Department’s Interim Executive Director. “Although the
weather is getting cooler, mosquitoes will remain active until the first hard
freeze. We encourage people to stay active outdoors, but please remember to
wear insect repellent and take other precautions to avoid mosquito bites.”
Recommendations
to prevent mosquito breeding include:
- Discard old tires, buckets, drums or
any water holding containers. Poke holes in tires used as bumpers on docks
- Keep roof gutters and downspouts
clear of debris
- Keep trash containers covered
- Empty plastic wading pools at least
once a week and store indoors when not in use
- Drain unused swimming pools
- Fill in tree rot holes and hollow
stumps that hold water
- Change the water in birdbaths and
plant urns at least once a week
- Store boats upside down or drain
rainwater weekly
Recommendations
to prevent mosquito bites include:
- Whenever possible, limit outdoor activity
at dusk
- Wear light-colored clothing that
minimizes exposed skin and provides some protection from mosquito bites
- Make sure door and window screens
fit tightly and that all holes are repaired
- Apply insect repellent that includes
DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR 3535 according to label
instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.
To
report dead birds, areas of stagnant water (which are conducive for mosquito
breeding), or to obtain more information on the signs and symptoms of West Nile
encephalitis, call the Health Department's West Nile virus hotline at: (847)
377-8300. Please note that the Health Department is no longer picking up dead
birds at this time, but is mapping their locations to help determine areas of
high West Nile virus activity. It is recommended that dead birds be disposed of
by placing the bird in a plastic bag. Either double bag or tightly secure the
bag and place it in your regular garbage.
While
most people infected with WNV have no symptoms of illness, some may become ill,
usually three to 15 days after the bite of an infected mosquito. The virus may
occasionally cause serious complications. In some individuals, particularly the
elderly, the virus can cause muscle weakness, inflammation of the brain
(encephalitis), stiff neck, stupor, disorientation, tremors, convulsions,
paralysis, coma or death. See your healthcare professional if you think you
have the symptoms of West Nile infection.
More
information about WNV can be found on the Department's website at: http://www.lakecountyil.gov/2371/West-Nile-Virus.
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