The first human case of West Nile virus has been confirmed in Illinois.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that a resident of southern Illinois was admitted to the hospital for complications associated with mosquito-borne virus.
Health officials have issued a warning, calling it a sign that mosquito season is off to an early start and urged people to take precautionary measures to protect themselves, as reported by WGN.
West Nile virus is transmitted via a bite of a Culex mosquito, also called the house mosquito — that has contracted the virus while feeding on an infected bird.
Patients affected with the virus typically don’t show any symptoms. However, a few of them experience nausea, headaches or muscle pains that last from a few days to several weeks.
In rare cases, the virus can lead to severe complications such as paralysis or meningitis.
Elderly individuals over 60 or those with compromised immune systems are at a higher risk of getting sick.
Nearly 1 in every 150 people infected develops severe complications that adversely affect the brain, spinal cord and nerves.
So far in 2025, mosquitoes carrying the virus have been discovered in 19 counties across Illinois.
