Hanover Park woman dies after getting West Nile virus
A Hanover Park woman in her 40s has died of West Nile virus, officials from the DuPage County Health Department said Tuesday.
Her death last week is the county's first West Nile virus death of 2014 and the third reported this year in Illinois, officials said. The woman, who hasn't been identified, had other health issues, according to DuPage officials.
Even with the cool weather, residents are being advised to continue to protect themselves against mosquito bites. West Nile virus is transmitted to people by infected mosquitoes.
DuPage's health department also has a “personal protection index,” which provides up-to-date information about West Nile virus activity in the area.
The index, which appears as a widget at dupagehealth.org, uses a scale of zero to three, with zero being no activity and three announcing that multiple human cases of West Nile virus have been confirmed.
Health officials said the index advises residents about what precautions they should take, such as draining standing water, using insect repellent and being careful at dusk and dawn. When the index reaches its highest level, it suggests residents do all those things in addition to wearing long sleeves, pants and closed shoes while outdoors.
According to DuPage health officials, people infected with West Nile virus develop symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rash.
Less than 1 percent will develop a serious neurological illness such as encephalitis or meningitis (inflammation of the brain or surrounding tissues), according to the health department.
In addition to the Hanover Park woman, DuPage this year has had four confirmed cases of West Nile virus.
DuPage last year had six confirmed cases of West Nile virus. In 2012, there were 56 confirmed cases, including five West Nile-related deaths.