“The Courier ” Amid rainy summer, Ohio urges precautions against mosquitoes

According to the Will County Health Department, this is the first time this virus has showed up this year, and it’s significantly earlier than usual.

There are 27 samples that tested positive in Will county these are the batches from Lockport, Moone, Manhattan, Frankfort, Mokena, Manhattan and Creete from the southern lands.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported that 44 people contracted the virus a year ago in the state and four died, although there were no human cases reported in Will County, the release said. Usually an infected person falls ill within 3 to 15 days and suffers from symptoms like headaches, fever, body aches, swelling of lymph glands and skin rash.

Less than 1 percent of infected people develop a serious neurologic illness, such as encephalitis or meningitis, which is inflammation of the brain or surrounding tissues.

Mosquitoes are infected with WNV from feeding off of birds that carry the virus.

West Nile virus is transmitted through mosquito bites.

The Health Department of the Ogle County announced something pretty alarming yesterday.

Limit outdoor activities during dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active. One human case was reported in Oak Lawn, but the woman in her 40s did not require hospitalization.

Wear EPA-registered mosquito repellents whenever mosquitoes are present and follow label instructions.

· Make sure all windows and doors have screens, and that all screens are in good fix.

Encouraged by the recent heavy rains, and the pools of standing water they produce, mosquitoes may be coming out in force soon.

Since the arrival of West Nile virus to California in 2003, 4,805 people across the state have contracted the disease; 176 of those cases were fatal, according to the vector control district. Eliminate all sources of standing water on your property, by emptying flower pots, old vehicle tires, and buckets. The districts use aircraft in rural locations and ground equipment for more precision spraying in urbanized areas.

MMCD tracks citizens’ reports of dead birds throughout the metro area.