Plainfield Woman Among Confirmed West Nile Cases

The number of human cases of West Nile virus in Will County rose to six on Thursday, with confirmed cases reported in Plainfield, Joliet and Homer Glen.

The Plainfield patient, a woman in her early 20s, was diagnosed with West Nile virus (WNV) after initially complaining of fatigue, according to a Will County Health Department press release.

SIGN UP FOR PLAINFIELD PATCH'S DAILY NEWSLETTER AND ALERTS.

While the Plainfield woman was not hospitalized, a Joliet man in his early 50s was hospitalized Aug. 31, a day after reporting fever, headaches, dizziness, depression and an altered mental state. Health officials said his illness was listed as West Nile encephalitis, and he was discharged on Sept. 7.

A sixth new case was reported in Homer Glen, where a woman in her early 60s was hospitalized Sept. 8, more than a week after reporting fever, muscle pain, headaches and a rash. Her illness was listed as West Nile fever.

Will County’s first human case, reported Aug. 31, involved a Romeoville woman in her early 40s. She was reportedly hospitalized Aug. 7 and released Aug. 15.

Human cases of West Nile have also been confirmed in Bolingbrook, Romeoville and Crest Hill. Five of the county’s six cases were confirmed this week.

As of Thursday afternoon, 118 human WNV infections had been reported statewide, including 26 since Monday. The human case count in the U.S. is now at nearly 3,200, with least least 134 fatalities, health officials said.

While there have been no reported fatalities in Will County, nearby DuPage County has had 19 confirmed human cases and two fatalities.

Lombard Village President Bill Mueller, 76, became the first West Nile fatality in DuPage County Saturday, Aug. 18. He had been battling cancer since 2008, and had been hospitalized since Aug. 5. The second occurred when another DuPage County resident died earlier this month.

Mosquitoes that typically carry West Nile virus are most active from dusk to dawn. The health department urges area residents to protect themselves against mosquito bites by using insect repellent and wearing long sleeves, pants, shoes, and socks when going outdoors.

For more information on the disease, visit the CDC's West Nile fact sheet or the Will County Health Department website.

Read more: 

• Bolingbrook Woman Diagnosed with West Nile Virus
• Will County's First Human Case of West Nile Reported in Romeoville
• West Nile Virus Cases Continue to Rise in DuPage County
• Cases of West Nile Virus in Chicago's Suburbs
• CDC Calls West Nile Outbreak 'Largest Ever;' No Human Cases in Will County
• Downers Grove Woman Diagnosed with West Nile Virus
• More West Nile Mosquitoes Found in Will County

--------------------------

Follow Plainfield Patch on Facebook for a slightly different take on the news.