Kane West Nile cases hit 12, approach 2007 levels
A 64-year-old Aurora man is recovering from a bout with the West Nile virus, making him the 12th case reported this year in Kane County, which is the most since 2007 when 13 cases were diagnosed, according to officials at the Kane County Health Department.
The man was hospitalized but has since been discharged, said the health department, which warned in September that the dry, hot summer created ideal conditions for the culex mosquito.
The mosquito can carry the virus after feeding on an infected bird. Across the state, 245 cases have been reported this year, including 10 deaths. Last year, 34 cases were recorded statewide, including three deaths.
Last year, only one case was reported in Kane County. In 2010, five cases were reported, but there were none in 2009, which had a mild summer. Seventeen cases were reported in 2005.
More information about West Nile virus can be found on the Kane County Health Department’s website or the Illinois Department of Public Health’s website. Residents also can call the state’s West Nile virus Hotline at (866) 369-9710.