FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 24, 2023

DECATUR, IL - The Macon County Health Department (MCHD) is announcing the first positive human case of West Nile virus in Macon County in 2023. This case is one of twelve (12) CDC-confirmed cases discovered across six (6) counties in Illinois. With this announcement, public health officials and our colleagues at the Macon Mosquito Abatement District (MMAD) wish to remind residents to do all they can to “Fight the Bite” as the weather remains warm, and mosquitos continue to breed.

Jason Probus, Director of MMAD, states, “We continue to conduct routine surveillance and are closely monitoring the situation. To date, we have twenty (20) West Nile virus-positive batches of mosquitoes from seven (7) different trap sites within our District. When mosquito populations and virus detection thresholds are met, we will conduct adult mosquito treatments in neighborhoods as needed. Citizens can do their part by removing items that hold standing water from their backyards. Without significant rains, man-made sources will more than likely be the cause of mosquito activity. To report standing water, contact MMAD via phone at (217) 875-2722 or online at www.maconmosquito.org.”

West Nile Virus is transmitted through the bite of a Culex mosquito, commonly called a typical mosquito, which has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. Common symptoms of WNV include fever, nausea, headache, and muscle aches. Symptoms may last from a few days to a few weeks. Four (4) out of five (5) people infected with West Nile virus will not show any symptoms. However, in rare cases, severe illness can occur, including brain infections such as meningitis or encephalitis and paralysis or even death. There is no specific treatment for WNV nor is there a vaccine at present. Therefore, it is critically important that people minimize their risk of acquiring the virus. 

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) encourages the public to Fight the Bite and take steps to prevent WNV 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, or IR 3535 according to label instructions. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) does not recommend use of products containing lemon eucalyptus oil or para-menthane-diol on children under three (3) years old. Consult a physician before using repellents on children under 3. 

• 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. 

Last year, 44 counties in Illinois reported positive WNV mosquitoes, birds, humans and/or horses. So far in 2023, there have been 2,034 positive mosquito batches and 13 positive birds from 44 counties.