Health officials Wednesday were investigating an apparent outbreak of St. Louis encephalitis on the South Side of Chicago and in the south and southwestern suburbs after 11 cases of the viral infection were reported.
St. Louis encephalitis is transmitted through the bite of the Culex mosquito, which breeds in stagnant water contained in buckets, bird baths and other containers often found near houses, and in drainage ditches and low-lying spots of ground water.
Health officials have asked residents to dump water from such containers.
The disease is transmitted through a mosquito bite, affecting the central nervous system and sometimes causing death. None of the 11 victims in the outbreak has died, and no one is still hospitalized, the Illinois Department of Public Health said Wednesday.
Encephalitis cases were reported in southern Cook County and northern Will County. Victims were treated at Palos Community Hospital in Palos Heights, St. Francis Hospital in Blue Island and Ingalls Memorial in Harvey, officials at those hospitals confirmed.
The victims ranged in age from 2 to 48 years of age.
