There have been no human cases of WNV in Illinois. Physicians are asked to report suspected case of WNV to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

During the 1999 New York encephalitis outbreak, there were 62 human cases, including seven deaths in New York City. During 2000, there were 21 human cases (14 in NY, 6 in NJ, 1 in CT), including 2 deaths. More recently, in 2001, 66 human cases were identified in the United States including 9 deaths. Human cases were identified in NY, FL, NJ, MD, CT, GA, MA, PA, AL, and LA.

Hong Kong experienced the first H5N1 virus outbreak in humans in 1997 with 18 cases and six deaths. In early 2003, the virus caused two infections and one death in a family in Hong Kong who had recently traveled to southern China. There had been no cases in humans elsewhere in the world until that time. Since 2003, the outbreak has resulted in 121 laboratory-confirmed human cases with 62 deaths reported in four countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand and Viet Nam.

West Nile Virus is a virus that was first identified in Uganda in 1937. This virus was first identified in the United States in 1999 during an outbreak in New York. Since that time, the virus has been found in mosquitoes, birds, horses, and humans in various locations in the United States.

Last year there were almost 10,000 human cases of WNV detected, including 262 deaths in the United States.

In 2001, 138 birds from seven counties tested positive for WNV. Since sample collection began on May 1, 2002, one bird, found in Kane County, tested positive.

Yes, the Department treats racial harassment as discrimination based on race . If a person is subjected to name-calling or negative comments based on a protected class, this may be unlawful discrimination. <Go to Top>

Yes, there was at least one case, perhaps two, in Asia, of human-to-human transmission of H5N1 influenza reported in 2005. But the virus is not yet in a form that will transmit easily between humans.

The World Health Organization provides current updates on the cumulative number of confirmed avian influenza (H5N1) cases. The State of California is gathering information through bird testing for avian influenza and monitoring information on the spread of this disease throughout the world.

People may be exposed to WNV when an infected mosquito bites them. However, only a small percentage of mosquitoes are expected to carry the virus so the risk of being infected with WNV from any single mosquito bite is very small. For a mosquito to become infected with the virus, it must bite an infected bird.

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From 1964 to 2004, there have been 220 confirmed cases of human EEE in the United States, averaging 5 cases per year (with a range from 0-15 cases). The states with the traditionally largest number of cases are Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. In 2005, there were 20 human cases of EEE in the United States. New Hampshire had the most with seven cases (six more than the previous year), two of which died.

Yes. WHO has some evidence that the H5N1 strain may have been circulating in birds since April 2003. The detection so far of only a few human cases suggests that the virus may not be easily transmitted from birds to humans at present. However, the situation could change quickly, as the H5N1 strain has been shown to mutate rapidly and has a documented propensity to exchange genes with influenza viruses from other species.

For the latest up-to-date information, go to the United States Geological Survey Web site and read the summaries.

Find-It! Illinois is an Internet site provided by the Illinois State Library, Jesse White Secretary of State and State Librarian to bring many electronic services to the citizens of Illinois. These services include access to state government publications, Illinois library holdings and directory information, databases, online learning opportunities, and online reference services. Find-It! Illinois will be an ever-evolving project with new components being added on a continual basis.

No. Monitoring data in the United States have indicated that mosquitoes in the Culex group are most often infected with WNV. This is significant because most of the nuisance mosquitoes in Madison belong to the Aedes group, which are less likely to carry the West Nile Virus. Culex mosquitoes found in the Madison area (usually Culex pipens or Culex restuans) are considered to be evening and nighttime biters and commonly breed in stagnant or polluted water.

Most of the time, people infected with WNV will have no symptoms or will develop a mild illness that includes fever. In severe cases, encephalitis may develop. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that less than 1% of persons that get infected will develop severe illness. Serious illness resulting from WNV can happen at any age; however, most cases of serious illness have occurred in persons greater than 50 years of age.

Reduce mosquito breeding sites. The Culex mosquitoes found in Madison prefer to breed in stagnant or polluted water. For this reason, eliminating standing water from your property may have a significant impact on reducing the number of Culex and other mosquitoes. Eliminate standing water around your home and neighborhood by: Keeping any containers from collecting rainwater (i.e. wheel barrows, flower pots, buckets, swimming pool covers, etc). Reduce the number of bites you receive.

When you are outdoors, use insect repellents containing DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide). Follow the directions on the package. Many mosquitos are most active at dusk and dawn. Consider staying indoors during these times or use insect repellent and wear long sleeves and pants. Light colored clothing can help you see mosquitos that land on you. Get rid of mosquito breeding sites by emptying standing water from flower pots, buckets and barrels.

The virus was first detected in the West Nile region of Uganda in Africa in 1937. During the summer of 1999, the virus was detected in New York State. It is now found in most US states and across central and western Canada, but currently it is not in BC. While only a small number of mosquito species can carry and transmit the virus, some of these mosquitoes are present in BC.

WNV is spread only by adult mosquitoes that are infected with the virus. Humans and horses that have WNV infection cannot spread the disease directly to humans. The risk of getting WNV encephalitis is highest from late July through September. There is no evidence that a person can get WNV from handling live or dead infected birds. Still, you should avoid bare-handed contact when handling dead animals, including birds. If you must handle dead birds, use gloves or double plastic bags.

The H5N1 epidemic amongst birds in Asia has led to diseases in humans in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, China and most recently Turkey and Iraq since the end of 2003. Further occurrences of the disease in the near future especially in countries affected by the animal epidemic and their neighbors are likely. You can find a map showing the spread and number of human cases on the website of the European Commission. Almost all infected people had contact with diseased animals.

In 2006, there were over 4,000 cases of West Nile virus illness reported in the US. This is a significant increase in cases compared to 2005 with 3,000 reported cases and 2004 with 2,539 cases. Of the 4,180 human cases reported for 2006 (as of 1/3/07), 61% had West Nile fever and 34% had neuroinvasive disease (in 5% the illness type was not reported). States with the highest number of cases in 2006 included Idaho, Colorado, Texas, Nebraska, and California.

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