Illinois officials report 33 new West Nile virus cases

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Illinois health officials announced 33 new cases of the West Nile virus on Thursday and one more fatality, bringing the death toll from the disease in the state to 14.

The total number of human cases in Illinois was 346 with Thursday's announcement, officials said.

The 33 new cases of the mosquito-borne disease include a 78-year-old suburban Cook County man who died Tuesday from West Nile encephalitis, said Dr. John Lumpkin, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. The victim's name was not released.

The new nonfatal cases include 11 from the city of Chicago, 16 from suburban Cook County, three from DuPage County and one each from Crawford and McHenry counties. The other deaths linked to the virus include three people from Chicago, six from suburban Cook County and one each from DuPage, Effingham, Madison and Moultrie counties.

Illinois leads the country in human cases, followed by Louisiana, where officials on Thursday reported 16 new cases for a total of 238.

The virus has been found in birds, horses or mosquitoes in another 12 states.