Egyptian Health Dept. identifies 1st West Nile-positive bird in area

SOUTHERN Ill. (KFVS) - The Egyptian Health Department identified the first West Nile-positive bird in southeastern Illinois for 2023.

According to a release from the health department on Monday, August 28, the bird was collected on August 10 in Harrisburg. They say the dead bird was reported by a resident.

In May, authorities began trapping and testing mosquitoes throughout Saline, White and Gallatin Counties, along with a collection of reported dead birds, to test for West Nile. Currently, they say there have been zero reported human West Nile virus cases in those three counties.

West Nile is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. People with the virus may become ill three to 14 days after the bite of an infected mosquito.

According to the health department, symptoms are usually mild and include fever, headache and body aches, but serious illness and death are possible. Those older than 50 years of age have the highest risk of serious illness.

The Illinois Department of Public Health encouraged the public to practice the three “R’s”:

Reduce - make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut. Eliminate, or refresh each week, all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires and any other containers.
Repel - when outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a light-colored, long-sleeved shirt, and apply an EPA-registered insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR 3535 according to label instructions. The CDC does not recommend use of products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol on children under 3 years old. Consult a physician before using repellents on children under 3.
Report - report locations where you see water sitting stagnant for more than a week such as roadside ditches, flooded yards and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes. The local health department or city government may be able to add larvicide to the water, which will kill any mosquito larvae.

You can find more information on West Nile virus online here.