Will County health officials in Illinois have reported a case of West Nile Virus in a resident, marking the state's first human infection this year, as the virus continues to be detected in the insect population across several communities? According to the Chicago Tribune, the individual is in their 70s and began experiencing symptoms in July. This incident is part of a wider pattern in Illinois which has seen a total of five cases so far, including three from Cook County.
With mosquito batches in ten Will County communities such as Joliet, Homer Glen, and Shorewood testing positive for West Nile Virus over the summer the Illinois Department of Public Health indicates that the virus presence is not isolated and a dead bird in Crest Hill has also yielded a positive test for the virus, with 1,318 West Nile-positive mosquito batches and 25 positive birds from 53 counties state-wide, as reported by WGN-TV.
Most people infected with West Nile virus do not develop symptoms according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but approximately 20% of cases can result in a fever and other symptoms including headache, joint pains, and in some instances, more severe illnesses like encephalitis or meningitis particularly in those over 60 or with underlying health conditions, symptoms can stubbornly persist for weeks or months even after a full recovery, as detailed by the Chicago Tribune.
