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Aug 28, 2023

Egyptian Health Department reports first West Nile virus positive bird in southern Illinois for 2023

ePublic health officials are again reminding folks to protect against mosquito bites after a dead bird tested positive for West Nile virus in Saline County, Illinois. Egyptian Health Department

ePublic health officials are again reminding folks to protect against mosquito bites after a dead bird tested positive for West Nile virus in Saline County, Illinois.

Egyptian Health Department announced the positive test on Monday, saying it was the first bird to test positive for WNV in southern Illinois in 2023. A Saline County resident reported the bird to officials, and it was collected for testing on Aug. 10.

The health department serves Saline, White and Gallatin counties, and its announcement about the WNV-positive bird said no human cases have been reported so far in those three counties.

Last week, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported the death of a Cook County resident in their 90s from the illness, announcing the first WNV-related death in the state so far this year.

West Nile virus is spread to humans when they are bitten by infected mosquitoes, which pick up the virus when they feed on infected birds.

Egyptian Health Department said people infected by WNV may start to experience symptoms three to 14 days after a bite from an infected mosquito. The illness is usually mild, the health department said, with symptoms including fever, headache and body aches. However, serious illness and death are possible, and IDPH notes that there is no treatment for the illness and no vaccine to protect against it. Egyptian Health Department said people age 50 and older have the highest risk of serious illness.

The local and state health departments encourage folks to “Fight the Bite” by practicing the three R’s: reduce, repel and report.

People can reduce exposure to mosquitoes by keeping doors and windows closed. If doors or windows are opened, they should have tight-fitting screens that keep mosquitoes out. Screens that have tears or other openings should be repaired or replaced.

Another way to reduce exposure is to eliminate all sources of standing water or refresh the water each week. That means emptying out any old tires, flower pots or other containers that have filled with standing water and refreshing sources like bird baths, ponds and wading tools.

Additionally, mosquito dunks and other larvicides can be purchased at home improvement stores to be placed in small areas of standing water that may not be easily emptied, such as depressions in the land that may flood easily.

When outdoors, people are advised to wear shoes and socks, long pants and long-sleeved shirts. To avoid overheating, people can choose light-weight clothing in light colors.

Public health officials also advise applying insect repellents registered with the Environmental Protection Agency that contain DEET, picaridin, lemon oil, eucalyptus oil, IR 3535, para-menthane-diol (PMD) or 2-undecanone. It’s important to follow the label instructions when using those products. The IDPH advises talking to a doctor before using repellents on infants.

When it comes to using repellents safely, the EPA advises that it’s important to read and follow the label instructions to know how much to apply. Use repellents only on exposed skin and/or on clothing. It’s not safe to use them under clothing, and the EPA advises against applying repellents near the eyes or mouth. For more instructions from the EPA on insect repellent use, visit epa.gov.

IDPH asks Illinois residents to report locations where they see water standing stagnant for more than a week, such as roadside ditches and flooded yards. Health departments and local governments may be able to add larvicide to the water.

The state health department has asked the public to report sightings of sick or dead birds to local health departments, because the mosquitos that carry West Nile virus pick it up by feeding on infected birds.

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