SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has confirmed the three human West Nile virus-related deaths in Illinois for 2016. Three individuals in Cook County tested positive for West Nile virus earlier this month and have died.
“Although fall has begun and temperatures are becoming cooler, West Nile virus is still a concern,” said IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D. “It’s important for everyone to continue taking precautions like wearing insect repellent and staying indoors between dusk and dawn.”
IDPH reported the first human case of West Nile virus in Illinois this year on June 6, 2016 and IDPH is currently reporting 64 human cases. Last year there were 77 human cases, including nine deaths.
West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito. Common symptoms include fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches. Symptoms may last from a...