The Illinois Department of Public Health has confirmed a dead bird found in Washington County died from West Nile Virus. It is the first confirmation of West Nile in South Central Illinois and the 12th bird statewide to test positive for West Nile. The positive cases cover the length of the state from Chicago to the Marion area.
So far this year there have been no human cases of the mosquito spread disease reported.
The Marion County Health Department along with health departments around the state are collecting samples of dead birds that could have died from the disease as well as testing mosquito larva. Health Department Administrator Melissa Mallow says so far there have been no positive results in Marion County.
