SPRINGFIELD — Public Health officials have confirmed Illinois’ first human case of West Nile virus this year.
The case was found in southern Illinois, where a patient was hospitalized with complications from the infection, according to a news release from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The state’s health department says the case marks the earliest known instance of a person in Illinois being infected with West Nile virus since 2016.
West Nile virus is spread to humans through mosquito bites. Around one in five infected people develop symptoms including fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches. Symptoms may last from a few days to a few weeks.
People older than 60 and those with weakened immune systems are at highest risk for severe illness, according to public health officials. They also recommend people protect themselves by wearing insect repellent, reporting stagnant water sites, and using screen doors to block mosquitos from coming indoors.