PEORIA, Ill. – The West Nile virus has been found for the first time this year in Peoria County.
The Peoria City/County Health Department says it was found in a positive mosquito sample.
Director of Environmental Health Carey Panier says the department has been setting mosquito traps throughout the county to watch for breeding and test for the virus.
Panier says they are also accepting and collecting dead birds, especially crows and blue jays, to test them for West Nile. The virus is spread by a bite from a mosquito that has been infected by a dead bird.
Symptoms of West Nile include fever, nausea, headache, and muscle aches. The symptoms can last between a few days to a few weeks, though the department says four out of five people will not show any symptoms.
Panier says the best way to avoid West Nile is by reducing exposure when outside, wearing clothing and insect repellents that deter mosquitoes, and reporting breeding grounds to the county.
