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Serving the communities in Jo Daviess County

the

Scoop Today

VOL. 83 • NO. 35

YOUR FREE HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER

West Nile Virus makes an appearance The Jo Daviess County Health Department has recently received notification from the Illinois Department of Public Health that a horse in Jo Daviess County was ill with West Nile Virus (WNV) infection; the horse is recovering. However, the presence of the West Nile Virus, and increased mosquito activity in the warm late summer weather is no surprise to Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) officials. “We know that mosquitoes stay active until there is a hard freeze,” said IDPH Entomologist Linn Haramis, PhD. Jo Daviess County is the first county in Illinois to report an equine case due to WNV this year. There have been no confirmed human cases of WNV-related disease in Jo Daviess County reported this year. “However,” Mr. Haramis cautions, “Horse cases of WNV are an indicator of higher human risk for WNV, and the fact that the virus is permanently established in birds in the state”. West Nile Virus activity is found primarily in the Culex mosquitoes

(house mosquitoes) that are abundant in hot and dry weather. The virus replicates in birds, and mosquitoes feed on the birds, then bite humans, horses and other mammals and transmit the virus. While humans can take precautions, such as wearing mosquito repellent and controlling outdoor activity, horses can only be protected by vaccines. Equine owners should consult with their veterinarian about vaccines to protect their animals from WNV. The vaccines are usually recommended annually in the spring. There will be a risk of WNV activity until a hard frost, when mosquitoes die out for the season. Until then, if the weather is warm enough for summer-like clothing, individuals are encouraged to continue to take precautions and protect themselves from mosquito bites and WNV. More information about WNV may be found on the Illinois Department of Public Health web page: [http://www.dph.illinois.gov/topicsservices/diseases-and-conditions/ west-nile-virus/surveillance].

By Tony Carton

practicing throwing tomahawks,” Scott said. “They also did a nuclear reactor project where they removed simulated biohazard materials.” He said the troop is hoping to host similar events in the future. “We would like to do this annually,” he said. “The troop is set up with equipment and we can keep using it over and over, so all we will have to do for future Camporees is promote them and get more troops involved.” Scott said the Camporee was a positive thing for the village. “The event brought people from outside our town in to our town and at the same time we are promoting activities that we are doing for our youth right here in our city park, so it’s a great thing for Stockton,” said Scott. “Having this kind of visibility is huge.”

Stockton Boy Scouts Troop 31 host Second Annual Camporee in Memorial Park A camporee is a local or regional gathering of Scouting units for a period of camping and common activities. The event can be a perfect showplace for a Scouting program and, therefore, go far beyond just being a gathering of boys. The camporee staged at Stockton was just such an event. “Troop 31 of Stockton is hosting our second annual Camporee,” said Scout leader John Scott. “We brought in troops from all across the tri-state area and we will all be camping in Stockton Park for two nights.” The Scouts were kept busy practicing competitive scout skill activities for leadership. “They did a timed tent setup, a blindfolded tarp setup, a knot relay, some compass work and we’ve been

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TONY CARTON PHOTO The Scoop Today

Lifesaving training

An unidentified volunteer waits patiently while workers assemble the Great Wall of Rescue during the grain bin extrication training class hosted Saturday by the Warren High School FFA.

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