West Nile Virus and other Mosquito Diseases

	Public Education Resources
	- Too many Mosquitoes?, or Possible Breeding Spot? - Learn How you Can Minimize the Risk of catching WNV.

West Nile Virus was first discovered in the United States in the fall of 1999.  It quickly spread across the US and today has been found in all of the lower 48 states, much of Canada, and south into Mexico and Central America.  West Nile Virus was first detected in Illinois in the fall of 2001 and in 2002 caused the largest mosquito borne Encephalitis outbreak in the states history, with 884 human cases.  Since this initial outbreak West Nile has not gone away. 

Centers for Disease Control cases counts for West Nile Virus:

Mosquitoes are responsible for many different diseases, mostly tropical, some of which occur in Illinois.  LaCrosse Encephalitis and St. Louis Encephalitis have historically caused human sickness in Illinois.  Eastern and Western Equine Encephalitis are also present in the United States but are not yet important in Illinois.  However, in 2010 a horse was euthanatized from within the district with a probable case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis.  Other diseases such as Malaria, Dengue Fever, and Yellow Fever are found in the US mainly by people traveling to the tropics.  However, Illinois was once known as an area where Yellow Fever and Malaria were common.  Draining swamps, mosquito control, and advances in modern medicine have delegated these diseases to mainly third world areas.

Bird Flu and HIV cannot be spread by mosquitoes.

You are most likely to get West Nile late in the Summer.  This is when the mosquitoes that spread the disease are most common.  Even if mosquito populations are low and you are not being bitten at night you should still use insect repellent.