An Illinois bird tested positive for West Nile virus, but no humans have been diagnosed with the virus this year.
Ryan Kerch is the environmental health supervisor with the Winnebago County Health Department. He says they don't want to scare anybody, but it's important to understand that the virus is always out there.
"West Nile is present," he said. "It is active and it has been throughout the state for a number of years. It is a statewide concern."
Though rare, West Nile virus can cause encephalitis and meningitis. Adults over the age of 60 and those with a compromised immune system are the most risk for the virus. Kerch said the vast majority of people will be asymptomatic.
"If you're younger or have a healthy immune system, you can have the virus and not actually show it," he said. "But for those that do show symptoms, it's usually flu-like symptoms."
If you have fever, headaches, body aches and fatigue, Kerch said it's best to call your doctor. But if you present with severe symptoms like vision loss, inflammation of brain tissue or paralysis, go to the emergency room.
The first time West Nile virus was diagnosed in Illinois was September 2001. Kerch said 2007 and 2012 saw the most cases in Winnebago County.
"And for my understanding," he said, "2012 was a pretty big year statewide, too."
To prevent an outbreak or even a single case, he says the best thing you can do is get rid of stagnant water. Cleaning out your gutters, removing old tires, and dumping out kiddie pools and wheelbarrows will reduce mosquito population.
Weather has the biggest impact on mosquitoes. The species of mosquito that carries West Nile virus is the Culex mosquito. "They love hot and dry weather," Kerch said.
He explained that the mosquitoes that appear after heavy rains or after floods are called nuisance mosquitoes.
"While nuisance mosquitoes are annoying and prevalent during the rainy seasons," he said, "the good news is -- in our area -- they are not known to carry any diseases."
But the opposite weather, when it's hot and dry and you have areas of stagnant water," he said, "that's where the Culex mosquito really likes to breed."
What about that bird that tested positive for West Nile?
The dead bird was found in the 61107 zip code in Rockford. Kerch said it was suitable for testing so they put the bird through a screening process at the health department where they diagnosed it with the virus. They then sent the speciment to the state lab who confirmed it was positive for West Nile virus this week.
In order for a dead bird to be suitable for testing, Kerch says it needs to be in good condition.
"We ask that it be dead no more than 24 hours, that its eyes are still intact and that it doesn't have any decomposition or flies or other bugs on it," he said. "If it looks, for lack of a better word, fresh, then it should be suitable for testing."
He added, "We're specifically on the lookout for crows and jays."
Kerch said even though there is no proof that you can get West Nile virus from handling a dead bird, it's important to be careful.
"In the interest of safety," he said, "we don't encourage anybody to handle a dead bird without some sort of protective equipment or gloves or a shovel or something like that."
Kerch said that reporting dead birds is important for the department's surveillance activities but added they are not a dead bird disposal service. "We only collect a small percentage of the calls that we get specifically for testing," he said. "The most important thing is getting rid of areas of standing water that contribute to mosquito population."
Knowing that, if you do find a dead bird, Kerch said to contact your local health department. If you live in Winnebago County, report dead birds to the WCHD at 815-720-4245. Residents in the same county can call 815-720-4100 to report standing water in your neighborhood.
Kerch recommended that people stay inside during dusk and dawn because that is when mosquitoes are the most active. But when you do go for a hike, he said to wear long sleeves and use an insect repellent that contains DEET in accordance with the product labels.
