Information supplied by County health Dept.
A mosquito batch collected in the Fairmount area has been the first to test positive for the West Nile virus this year in Vermilion County. The Vermilion County Health Department has collected 38 samples of mosquitoes since May.
Each year during the months of May through the end of September, Environmental Health staff members set mosquito traps throughout the county. The trapped mosquitos are then collected and tested for the West Nile virus. Currently, the Department has 16 traps set up throughout the county.
“It’s always a good idea to assume that West Nile Virus is prevalent in the mosquito population and to take the proper precautions,” said VCHD interim public health administrator Jana Messmore. “We tend to see more positive mosquito batches later in the summer months so it’s very important to protect yourself if you aren’t already doing so.”
During the mosquito season the Environmental Health Division asks the public’s assistance in reporting birds that appear to have died of natural causes, and which may have West Nile Virus, by calling (217) 431-2662, ext. 5. These birds are collected and submitted to the University of Illinois’ Veterinary School laboratory to be tested for the virus. One bird has been collected so far this season and results are pending for the specimen.
The virus can be transferred to humans by the bite of the Culex mosquito if the mosquito has bitten an infected bird.
Symptoms of West Nile Virus can include a fever, body aches, joint pains, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, or a rash, and can last up to several weeks. The Center for Disease Control says that only 1 in 5 people infected with the virus develop symptoms, and less than 1 percent of them develop severe or fatal neurological illness.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reports that as of Aug. 9, 2023, there have been no human cases of West Nile Virus in Illinois. 14.3% of the total 13,436 mosquito collections tested have been found to be positive for the virus. Of the 96 birds tested to date, 6 have been found to be positive for the virus and 11.6% of the 9,546 mosquito batches have tested positive. So far, 38 of the 102 counties in Illinois have reported West Nile Virus positive mosquito batches or birds.
Taking some simple precautions can help you avoid mosquito bites, regardless of the type of mosquito or the diseases they carry. Precautions that the Illinois Department of Public Health recommends include the practice of the three “R”s – reduce, repel, report.
* REDUCE exposure - avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn.
* 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, especially at night.
* Eliminate all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires and any other receptacles.
* REPEL - when outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and apply insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR 3535, according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.
* REPORT - In communities where there are organized mosquito control programs, contact your municipal government to report areas of stagnant water in roadside ditches, flooded yards and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes.
