An older person who lives in rural Jackson County has become the third individual to test positive for the tick-borne Heartland virus in Illinois since 2018.
The latest case marks the third time an individual has been diagnosed with the virus in Illinois after two cases were reported in 2018 in Kankakee County and Williamson County.
Over 50 cases of the virus have, however, been reported in the Midwest and Southern United States since 2009, when the virus was first identified after two Missouri farmers who had been bitten by ticks were hospitalized with high fevers, low counts of white blood cells and platelets, muscle pains, and other symptoms.
Lone star ticks are mostly found in woodlands with dense undergrowth.
Precautions Should Be Taken
They collected samples of nearly 10,000 juvenile and adult lone star ticks across the state between 2018 and 2019 and found the Heartland virus was prevalent among the population, with roughly one out of every 2,000 of the specimens collected from the areas carrying it.Almost all individuals who have been diagnosed with the Heartland virus have had to be hospitalized because of their symptoms and some who had underlying health conditions have died, although most people infected have fully recovered.
Currently, there is no treatment for the virus but doctors can treat some of the symptoms.
Ticks are commonly found on the tips of grasses and shrubs and will typically wait for a human or animal to walk by before attaching to their skin. They then feeds on the blood for a few days before dropping off once they’ve had enough.
“As people continue to enjoy summer activities like hiking and camping, it is important to take precautions against ticks,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra in a statement on Tuesday. “Remember to wear insect repellent when in tick habitats and check for ticks immediately afterwards.”