Bird tests positive for West Nile virus in Illinois, state’s health department says

CHICAGO — Illinois’ Department of Public Health announced Wednesday that a bird has tested positive for the West Nile Virus, the state’s first in 2024. Douglas County Health Department staff collected the specimen on April 2 in Villa Grove. “The news of the first bird with West Nile virus so early in the season is a signal for Illinois residents to begin protecting themselves – and their horses – from vector-borne diseases,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “We urge everyone — and especially older people and those with weakened...