Oak Lawn Woman Is Cook County's First 2014 West Nile Case
CHICAGO (STMW) -- The season's first confirmed human case of West Nile virus in Cook County is a woman in her 40s from the southwest suburbs, who is now recovering.
The Oak Lawn resident became ill earlier this month but did not require hospitalization, according to the Cook County Department of Public Health. She is recovering at home.
However, CCDPH warns, "The virus continues to circulate throughout all of suburban
Cook County," as of Tuesday, "positive mosquito pools in 61 communities and three dead birds having tested positive for the virus," a statement from the agency said.
"I can't stress enough the importance of prevention during West Nile virus season," CCDPH COO Dr. Terry Mason said in the statement. "Every year, the virus circulates throughout suburban Cook County and while we can't eliminate those mosquitoes, we all have the ability to take basic prevention measures to protect against human transmission."
Health officials say most people infected by the virus show no symptoms, but people over 50 or suffering a chronic disease are "at-risk for serious complications," according to CCDPH.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
