SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Illinois health officials have confirmed the first human West Nile virus case in the state for 2021. 

A Cook County resident in his 80s is the patient. He became ill in mid-June and tested positive for West Nile. 

In 2020, there were 26 Illinois counties that reported a West Nile virus positive mosquito batch, bird, horse and/or human case. There were 42 human cases and four deaths reported in the state in that year, but the Illinois Department of Public Health noted human cases are underreported. 

“While we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, we must also remember to take steps to protect our health from other illnesses,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “West Nile virus is something we see every year in Illinois and it is important people take steps to prevent mosquito bites and the viruses they carry by wearing insect repellent and getting rid of standing water around their home."

A person can get West Nile through the bite of a Culex pipiens mosquito, which is commonly known as a house mosquito. Mosquitos pick up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. 

Human symptoms include fever, nausea, a headache and muscle aches. Symptoms can last from a few days to a few weeks. Four out of five people infected with West Nile will not show any symptoms.

Health leaders said severe illness, including meningitis, or even death, can occur in rare cases. People older than 60 and those with weakened immune systems have a higher risk for severe illness from West Nile. 

Health officials are asking the public to follow the three "R's" of reduce, repel and report. Their advice says the following: 

REDUCE – Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut. Eliminate, or refresh each week, all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires, and any other containers

REPEL - When outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a light-colored, long-sleeved shirt, and apply an EPA-registered insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR 3535 according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.

REPORT – Report locations where you see water sitting stagnant for more than a week, such as roadside ditches, flooded yards, and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes. The local health department or city government may be able to add larvicide to the water, which will kill any mosquito larvae.

Click here for more information about the West Nile virus from IDPH.