The DeKalb County
Health Department

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT 

With summer approaching and reports of West Nile infection in birds in DuPage County and Cook County, residents should review prevention guidelines to protect themselves and their families from West Nile infection says Karen Grush, public health administrator at the DeKalb County Health Department. 

The most effective way to prevent you or your family from being infected is to reduce the chances of being bitten by mosquitoes.  “Eliminate standing water from around your house and property where mosquitoes breed and hatch, and remember to use mosquito repellent when outside,” says Grush

Grush encourages homeowners to go outside and look around for places water can collect.  “Make your yard uninhabitable to mosquitoes,” says Grush  

            ►   Turn over tires, wheelbarrows, potted plant trays, boats, buckets and toys.

            ►    Clean out birdbaths, wading pools and unused swimming pools

            ►    Clean roof gutters and downspout screens regularly

            ►    Do not leave garbage can lids upside down or allow water to collect on your

                    garbage cans and recycling containers.

            ►    Check for leaky outdoor facets that cause water to collect

      ►    Check for and repair any tears in screens, including porches and patios.

 “When outdoors - especially when mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk - wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and apply an insect repellent that includes DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus according to label instructions,” Grush continues. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.  

The West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito.  Mosquitoes become infected after feeding on an infected bird.  It is important to remember that not all mosquitoes, or birds, carry the West Nile virus – most do not.

            Symptoms may include headache, fever, muscle weakness, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting and a change in mental status.  These symptoms generally occur from three to fourteen days of being bitten by an infected mosquito.  Although there have been cases reported in younger people, those 50 years of age and older are at highest risk of serious illness.

The Health Department is not available to pick up dead birds.  According to Grush, the Health Department is allowed to submit only ten birds meeting specific testing criteria, to the state laboratory for testing.   Grush advises residents to use plastic or rubber gloves or a shovel to pick up the dead bird, place it in a plastic bag, and dispose of it in the trash. 

             Additional information can be obtained at the Illinois Department of Public Health website at www.idph.state.il.us, or the CDC’s (Center for Disease Control) “Fight the Bite” website at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm.   In addition, information about West Nile Virus can be obtained from the Illinois Department of Public Health’s hotline at 866-369-9710. 

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