SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Illinois' death toll from the West Nile virus kept climbing Friday as health officials announced two more fatalities, bringing the total to 16.
The fatalities among the 12 new cases of the mosquito-borne disease were an 86-year-old woman from southern Cook County, who died Sept. 5, and a 68-year-old man from Macon County, who died Monday.
Their names were not released.
Illinois has seen more deaths than any other state. Louisiana has the second-highest total, with 11. It also has 238 cases of illness related to West Nile.
The total number of human cases in Illinois has climbed to 358.
The state's other fatalities include three from Chicago, seven from suburban Cook County and one each from DuPage, Effingham, Madison and Moultrie counties.
The new nonfatal cases include two from the city of Chicago, six from suburban Cook County, one each from Cumberland and Will counties, and one each from Macon and Rock Island, which reported their first cases.
As of Wednesday, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had reported that there are now at least 1,239 cases and 49 deaths in 31 states.
The virus has been found in birds, horses or mosquitoes in another 12 states, leaving only Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Arizona as states where it has not been found at all.
The Illinois Department of Public Health also announced it has now provided more than $1 million to local health departments to help fund mosquito control efforts, including $371,926 awarded Friday to eight local health departments.
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