Lab enables rapid West Nile tests after early Illinois case
DECATUR, Ill. (AP) - Traps that can catch more than 500 mosquitoes are being set up in central Illinois to enable rapid testing for West Nile virus after the virus showed up unusually early in the state this year.
The Macon Mosquito Abatement District is tracking the virus by setting up traps at 19 locations, usually near higher-population areas, said Jason Probus, the district's operations manager. The Herald and Review reports that using a lab in Decatur allows the capture, testing and treatment of mosquitoes in less than 24 hours.
"If we're getting a lot of West Nile virus in those traps, then we'll spray for a public health measure," Probus said.
The process used to take a week when the district's director, Sam Force, started with the agency about a dozen years ago. He said that made it difficult to be proactive. Now, potential trouble areas can be quickly monitored.
"We set a trap on Monday, and we can test it on Tuesday afternoon," Force said. "And if we need to take action, we can do it Tuesday night."
The state discovered its first human case of West Nile virus in mid-May, two months earlier than last year, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has agreed to investigate the case, given it occurred so early.
No human cases of West Nile virus have been reported in Macon County this year, though the first positive test among a mosquito batch this year occurred in June.
Testing at the Decatur lab takes several hours because of mosquito sorting and a 90-minute waiting period before a sample on a cartridge can be put into a machine that can determine if the virus is present.
West Nile virus is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. There are often no symptoms, but people older than 60 are more likely to die or to develop a severe illness.
The state saw 90 human cases of the virus last year, including eight deaths.
___
Information from: Herald & Review, http://www.herald-review.com