The 1st case of the West Nile Virus has been found on an Illinois resident. A Will county resident in his 60s became ill at the end of June and tested positive on the virus. The Illinois Department of Public Health Director stated that this is typically the time of year that we start to see human cases of the West Nile virus. He said that the hot, humid weather we have had has drawn the higher possibility to leave small, stagnant pockets of standing water, which creates an ideal breeding site for a type of mosquito who carries the West Nile virus. Anybody who finds a sick or dying crow, blue jay, robin or any other perching bird are asked to contact their local health department, who can test the animal and determine if the bird should get tested in a lab. Common symptoms include fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches, which normally lasts a few days or weeks. Four out of five people who are infected will not show any symptoms. People 50 years or older and others with weakened immune systems are at the highest risk for suffering severe illnesses from the West Nile virus. The Department of Health asks the public to Reduce, Repel and Report. Reduce, make sure your doors and windows have tight-fitting screens and repair and replace screens that have tears or other openings. Repel, make sure you wear shoes, socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt and apply repellant while outside in possible mosquito territory. Lastly Report, make sure you report when you see water sitting stagnant for over a week on roadside ditches, flooded yards or any similar locations that could produce mosquitoes. Contact a local health department or city government if you see this, because they might have mosquito eggs.