West Nile Virus Found in Champaign County Mosquitoes

The West Nile virus has been discovered in Champaign County.

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District said one of its mosquito samples from Urbana tested positive for the blood-borne disease. The Public Health District's Jeff Blackford said their test results were confirmed by the Illinois Natural History Survey.

Blackford said that with this evidence of West Nile Virus in Champaign County, it's time for residents to take precautions against catching the disease from a mosquito bite.

"Now is the time to take general precautions when you're protecting yourself when you're out by using EPA-registered insect repellent and wearing long sleeves and long pants whenever weather permits," Blackford said. "And if it at all possible, avoid being outdoors at dawn, dusk or early in the evening, when mosquitoes are most active."

Blackford also recommends changing standing water in bird baths, wading pools and water dishes twice a week, and throwing out old tires and other objects that can collect standing water, as a way to reduce the mosquito population around the yard.

Champaign County is the 12th Illinois county to find a bird or insect sample with the West Nile Virus so far this year. Macon County is also on the list. To date, no human cases of the disease have been reported in Illinois in 2011.