Governor awards grants for West Nile virus detection and control

While there is no way to predict what the state may experience in terms of human cases of West Nile disease or other mosquito-borne diseases, Dr. Eric E. Whitaker, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said his department, along with other state agencies and local health department will aggressively monitor for the diseases.

 

"Based on what we have seen the past two years, it is logical to expect there will be human cases of West Nile disease in Illinois," Dr. Whitaker said.  "We are preparing as if we will see the same high level of activity as in 2002, but hoping our actual experience is similar or less than last year."

 

In 2002, Illinois reported 884 cases of West Nile disease and 66 deaths, both of which were the highest totals in the nation.  Last year there were nearly 10,000 cases of West Nile disease and 262 deaths in 45 states, but just 54 cases and one death in Illinois.  So far in 2004, West Nile virus activity has been reported among birds or mosquitoes in eight states - Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas.  No human cases have been confirmed.

 

When transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito, West Nile virus can cause a mild reactions that include fever, headache and body aches, or be more severe and be marked by headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, convulsions, muscle weakness, paralysis and, rarely, death.  Those at highest risk of severe disease are persons 50 years of age or older and those whose immune systems are weakened by illness or medical treatment.

 

As the outdoor season begins in earnest, Dr. Whitaker reminded Illinoisans they can reduce their risk of West Nile disease and other mosquito-borne diseases by taking these precautions: 

 

·                     Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn.

·                     When outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and apply insect repellent that includes DEET according to label instructions.  Consult a physician before using repellents on young children.

·                     Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens.  Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings.

·                     Eliminate all sources of standing water that can support mosquito breeding, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires and any other receptacles.

 

Grants were awarded to the following local health departments:

 

Local Health Department	Prevention and Control	Collection of dead birds and mosquitoes
Adams County Health Department		$14,320
Bond County Health Department	$1,000
Boone County Health Department	$1,000
Brown County Health Department	$1,000
Bureau County Health Department	$1,867	$18,000
Champaign County Health Department	$4,263	$31,000
Champaign Public Health District	$5,464
Chicago Department of Public Health	$277,026	$146,800
Cook County Department of Public Health	$238,300	$134,000
Crawford County Health Department	$1,000
DeKalb County Health Department	$5,679
DeWitt-Piatt Bi-County Health Department	$2,744	$14,000
Douglas County Health Department	$1,000
DuPage County Health Department	$87,490	$50,000
East Side Health District	$6,980	$50,000
Edgar County Public Health Department	$1,000	$25,550
Effingham County Health Department		$16,090
Egyptian Health Department	$2,091	$20,000
Evanston Health Department		$10,000
Fayette County Health Department	$1,000
Franklin-Williamson Bi-County Health Department	$5,321
Fulton County Health Department		$35,762
Greene County Health Department	$1,636
Hancock County Health Department	$1,000
Henderson County Health Department	$1,000	$20,000
Jackson County Health Department	$1,000	$18,100
Jasper County Health Department	$1,000	$24,000*
Jefferson County Health Department	$1,000	$19,000
Jersey County Health Department	$1,933
Jo Daviess County Health Department	$1,000	$18,000
Kane County Health Department	$18,406	$30,000
Kankakee County Health Department	$5,472	$20,000
Kendall County Department of Health and Human Services	$3,349	$20,000
Knox County Health Department	$1,000	$25,000
Lake County Health Department	$62,638	$30,000
LaSalle County Health Department	$6,864	$28,034
Lawrence County Health Department	$1,000
Lee County Health Department	$1,000
Livingston County Health Department	$1,000
Logan County Health Department	$1,000
McDonough County Health Department	$2,731	$28,000
McHenry County Health Department	$12,202	$34,000
McLean County Health Department	$8,911	$25,000
Macon County Health Department	$11,973	$22,000
Macoupin County Health Department	$5,689	$22,000
Madison County Health Department	$14,617	$20,000
Marion County Health Department		$9,000
Mercer County Health Department	$1,000
Montgomery County Health Department	$2,320	$10,000
Morgan County Health Department	$1,000
Oak Park Health District		$10,000
Ogle County Health Department		$26,000
Peoria City/County Health Department	$1,000	$25,000
Perry County Health Department	$1,000
Putnam County Health Department		$18,000
Richland County Health Department		$24,000*
Rock Island County Health Department	$8,855	$13,185
St. Clair County Health Department	$18,517	$36,000
Sangamon County Health Department	$5,075
Scott County Health Department	$1,000
Shelby County Health Department	$1,000
Springfield Department of Public Health	$5,861	$40,000
Stephenson County Health Department	$3,110	$30,000
Tazewell County Health Department	$1,000	$24,000
Vermilion County Health Department	$9,027	$20,000
Whiteside County Health Department	$4,190	$15,000
Will County Health Department	$49,046	$56,000
Winnebago County Health Department	$27,633	$25,000
Woodford County Health Department	$2,528	$20,000
TOTAL	$954,805	$1,327,841