The first human case of West Nile virus in Will County for the year was confirmed Friday in a Romeoville woman in her 40s, according to the Will County Health Department.
The woman was hospitalized Aug. 7 with symptoms of fever, stiff neck, headache, a rash, acute sensitively to light and confusion. She was discharged on Aug. 15 and the case was confirmed about two weeks later, said Vic Reato, spokesman with the Will County Health Department. No other information about her condition was available.
“It takes some time for these lab cultures to be tested and confirmed,” he said.
Mosquitoes carrying the virus are up steeply this year. Nearly 3,100 batches of mosquitoes in the state have tested positive for the virus through Aug. 30, of which 80 came from Will County, Reato said.
Through this morning, the Illinois Department of Public Health had reported 59 human cases of the virus, two of which resulted in fatalities.
“State-wide, there were 34 human cases last year and we already have almost double that,” Reato said.
In addition, the highest virus activity traditionally is reported in September.
“It’s obvious that there are still going to be cases as we progress here,” he said. “Being as this is the last busy weekend of the summer, I think it’s especially imperative that people be aware of the fact that the mosquito threat is still out there.”
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