Kane County has 3 of state's Zika cases
Kane County has three of Illinois' 46 confirmed Zika virus cases, but local health officials are increasing their level of concern about a local outbreak.
The county began tracking and reporting the cases in mid-January. The first confirmed case came in March. A second case followed in May. The most recent case arrived in June, according to the most recent Kane County Public Health Department stats. This virus is reported within 24 hours of confirmation to state and federal health officials.
Tom Schlueter, a spokesman for the department, said all three victims contracted the virus while traveling out of the country. Schlueter did not have information on which countries the victims traveled to. He refused to say if the victims are male or female.
"That's information that we're keeping quiet out of respect to our clients," Schlueter said.
The county health department has met with local municipalities to discuss their mosquito abatement programs as a precautionary measure. The particular mosquito known to carry the virus is not yet present in Illinois. Department officials have repeatedly said members of the local general public are "at extremely low risk" of transmitting or acquiring the Zika virus if they have not traveled in areas where the outbreaks have occurred.
The Centers for Disease Control reports 1,819 known cases in the United States.