MCLEAN COUNTY (25News Now) – After a crow in Normal tested positive for West Nile virus, medical experts are urging people to apply bug spray.

This year, five people in Illinois tested positive for the mosquito-borne virus. The West Nile virus causes encephalitis, or brain swelling, in most adults.

According to the McLean County Health Department (MCHD), most people experience headaches and body aches similar to those of the flu.

Normally, the department goes out to set traps, collect mosquitoes, freeze them, grind them up and then test them for the virus.

“Mosquitoes lay their eggs and grow in standing water,” says Angie Crawford, senior environmental health specialist at MCHD. “It only takes a week for them to go from egg to adult, and it only takes one tablespoon of water to go from egg to adult, which can then bite.”

There are no vaccinations for people with West Nile virus. Sufferers are usually treated with medication to reduce swelling and, in milder cases, painkillers are used.

Crawford also said that mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water and only need a tablespoon of water to grow.

“Check your gutters and make sure there are no leaves or twigs in them,” she said. “Clean the water so it can drain freely. If you have birdbaths in your yard, empty the water once a week and clean it.”

Crawford advises always using insect spray and being aware that birds that cannot fly properly or are stumbling around could be infected.

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