Illinois Department of Public Health officials said Thursday that a mosquito sample in DuPage County has been confirmed as the state’s first positive test for the West Nile virus this year.

State Public Health Director Eric Whitaker said the finding is not surprising. The sample was collected Monday in West Chicago. Last year, the first bird and mosquito that tested positive for West Nile virus was reported in DuPage County on May 24.

A total of 252 human cases of West Nile, including 12 deaths, were reported last year in Illinois. In 2002, Illinois led the nation with 884 cases, including 67 deaths. West Nile is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird.

Courtesy of the Chicago Tribune

Click here for some helpful tips from the Center For Disease Control (CDC) on reducing the risk of becoming infected and what can be done to prevent outbreaks of the West Nile virus.