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Tuesday, May 17, 2016
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Mosquitoes 101
IDPH offers mosquito prevention tips
By Terri Simon tsimon@bcrnews.com
They are those pesky little creatures that arrive every year. Sometimes they come early — oftentimes they stay late. But either way, mosquitoes are never welcomed guests at our outdoor activities. In the past several years, the common “house” mosquito has caused havoc with its ability to carry West Nile virus (WNV), if that mosquito is infected.
“Each year since 2002 when we saw the first human cases of West Nile virus in Illinois, we’ve seen the virus circulate across the state,” said IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D. J.D. WNV is transmitted through the bite of an infected Culex pipiens or “house” mosquito. Mild cases of the virus may cause a slight fever or headache, however, more severe infections can cause a rapid onset of a high fever with head and body aches, disori-
entation, tremors, convulsions, and in the most severe cases, paralysis or death. Symptoms of WNV begin from three to 14 days after a person is bitten, however, four out of five people infected with WNV will not show any symptoms. People older than 50 are at higher risk for severe illness from WNV, according to a release from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). But move over WNV — there’s a new culprit in the mosquito world, and
this little guy is bringing with it a new infection called the Zika virus. “This year many people are concerned about a relatively news virus - Zika virus. While Zika virus is also primarily transmitted through the bite of a mosquito, the main type of mosquito that carries Zika virus is different and is rarely found in Illinois,” Shah said. The IDPH said the Zika virus is primarily transmitted through the bite of an Aedes aegypti mosquito. The most common
symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after one is bitten. People usually don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika virus, which basically means many people might not realize they have been infected. A Zika infection during pregnancy, however, can cause a serious birth defect called microcephaly, as well as other severe
fetal brain defects. More information about the Zika virus can be found on the IDPH website. Predicting how the mosquito season will be this year in Illinois is next to impossible, since the basic factors determining high or low mosquito activity is dependent on temperature and rainfall. While you probably notice these pesky creatures during rainy weather, the mosquitoes that come out at that time are
Mosquitoes Page 3
Are you a local artist? Art in the Park is set for June 4
By Terri Simon tsimon@bcrnews.com
BCR photo/Joann Bowman
Delivering more than just the mail A mountain of non-perishable food products as well as paper and personal items were donated and ultimately delivered to the Bureau County Food Pantry in Princeton Saturday afternoon during the annual “Stamp Out Hunger” sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers. Other post offices around the county also participated in the effort, and those products were delivered to their respective food pantries. In Princeton, the food drive set a record collection of 20,115 pounds, compared to last year’s total of 15,665 pounds. Several helped with the collection, including area Boy Scouts.
A smart boater is a safe boater By Terri Simon tsimon@bcrnews.com
Here in the Illinois Valley, the current tends to run in many residents’ blood. With many rivers, canals and bodies of water at our fingertips, it is a boater’s paradise for those who love the serenity and the excitement of launching a boat in one of the area’s many waterways. May 21 through May 28 is National Safe Boating Week — a time for boat-
ers to rethink their excursions as the use the public rivers, lakes, canals and creeks that call their names at this time of the year. Weather Rule No. 1 is to always check the forecast before you launch your boat. Especially on the water, a storm can quickly turn a fun and enjoyable day into a nightmare. The National Weather Service (NWS) urges boaters to not
Boat Safety Page 2
Year 170 No. 59 One Section - 16 Pages
(815) 915-8748 © Bureau County Republican
PRINCETON — Are you a local artist who would like to showcase and sell your work? The third annual Art in the Park might be just the place to accomplish that. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 4, at Soldiers and Sailors Park on Princeton’s South Main Street, Art in the Park will again wow event-goers with a fantastic display of local and original artwork. The Princeton Chamber of Commerce’s event still has a few spaces available for artists wishing to set up a booth for this funfilled day. The charge for having a booth is $25. “We have quite a few vendors already, but we still have some spaces left,” said Gina Nelson, who helps coordinate the event. Nelson said the event was originally started by local and well-known artist Bart Kassabaum many years ago, adding it was a juried art show at the time, however, the current Art in the Park is a “lower key version of that.” Kassabaum, however, will have his art on display and for sale at the event this year again. The only requirement for vendors to participate in the one-day event is the items need to be handmade. To date, Nelson said event-goers can expect to see watercolors, graphic arts, photography, stained glass, jewelry, pottery, mixed media, blown glass and more. Also at the Art in the Park activity, Centrue Bank will host a lunch stand with a portion of the profits going to the art festival. Nelson said
she is in the process of securing some musical entertainment as well. Festival 56 will weigh in on the fun at the Art in the Park event with an activity dubbed, “Hot Shakespeare.” In honor of the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death this year, Festival 56 is sponsoring a free event, which asks those who dare to eat a jalapeno pepper and then read aloud a pre-selected Shakespearean passage as far as one can, and then find some relief with an ice cream treat to cool the pipes. All of this activity will be captured in good fun in photos and on video that will be posted to Instagram and YouTube. Hot Shakespeare will begin around lunch time. Sisler’s Dairy Products of Ohio has donated the ice cream. After Art in the Park, Festival 56 will continue Hot Shakespeare every Friday through July during Princeton’s Lunch in the Park, also held at Soldiers and Sailors Park. Nelson said Art in the Park coincides the same day as the Living Works Suicide Walk, but neither event will conflict with each other and could possible help boost attendance at both. She said there will be plenty of time for people to attend both events, if they wish. There is no admission fee to attend. For questions or to reserve a vendor space, contact Nelson at 815-879-3000 or the Princeton Chamber at 815875-2616. Comment on this story at www.bcrnews.com.
Economical lab services and diagnostic testing, including digital x-rays, are also offered on-site. These services are available to anyone, regardless of your doctor’s practice or hospital affiliation.
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