The Rock Island County Health Department has confirmed the county’s first West Nile virus positive mosquito batch reported for 2023.
In a news release Tuesday, Aug. 1, the health department said no cases of the virus in humans have been reported.
The positive test affirms the presence of the virus in the county. With summertime weather conditions now present, both mosquito and viral activity will be increasing. Health officials said the test result serves as a reminder that the public should take precautions to minimize exposure to mosquitoes that could be carrying West Nile virus. Among the precautions is eliminating standing water that allows mosquitoes to breed.
The West Nile virus confirmation comes as the result of the health department’s monitoring of mosquito traps operated at several locations.
In addition, health officials collect dead birds to be submitted for testing. The public is encouraged to contact the department if they observe a sick or dying bird. Birds that have been hit by a vehicle, crashed into a building, or have been attacked by other animals are not tested. Residents can call the department’s Division of Environmental Health at (309) 558-2840.
West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. Common symptoms include fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches. Symptoms may last from a few days to a few weeks.
But the health department warns that four out of five people infected with West Nile virus will not show any symptoms. In rare cases, severe illness including meningitis or encephalitis, or even death, can occur. People older than 50 and immunocompromised individuals are at higher risk for severe illness from West Nile virus.
The Illinois Department of Public Health advises the public to take some simple precautions to reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home and protect yourself from being bitten. Precautions include practicing the three “R’s” – reduce, repel, and report.
- REDUCE exposure – minimize being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn. If you go outside during these times, take precautions. Additional precautions include: making sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens; and eliminate all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, such as old tires, buckets and other receptacles.
- REPEL – when outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long sleeved shirt, and apply insect repellant that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR 3535.
- REPORT — report dead birds to your local health department. Reports areas of standing water that remain for more than one week.
For more information about West Nile virus, visit https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/west-nile-virus.html or the county’s website at www.richd.org. Then click on the Environmental Health tab and the West Nile virus tab.
