The most recent human case of infection with West Nile virus is a 28-year-old woman from Aurora. The woman reported the onset of illness in late July, but she was not hospitalized. West Nile symptoms are similar with those of flu: nausea, fever, headaches, backache, lack of appetite, muscle aches. The virus can seldom lead to meningitis or death.

“Although this is our first case of 2008, we know that conditions have been favorable for West Nile virus,” Kane County Health Department Executive Director Paul Kuehnert said, according to a local source. He warned residents to take precautions against West Nile virus. People should take precautions when going outside at dawn or dusk, wear long sleeves, insect repellent and eliminate standing water that attracts the insects.

The repellents should be applied routinely before going outside, since the virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. It is extremely important for elderly people to pay more attention, as they are more prone to severe complications due to their weakened immune system. Prevention is the best means to curb the number of people infected. If people take these precautions methods, they can greatly reduce the risk of getting bit by a mosquito infected with the virus.

A total of 101 human cases, including four deaths, were reported last year in Illinois, according to an IDPH release. The 28-year-old woman was the first confirmed human case of West Nile virus in Illinois so far. There is a risk of West Nile virus as long as mosquitoes are active.