Illinois health officials confirm 10th West Nile virus death

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Illinois public health officials confirmed the state's 10th death due to the West Nile virus Monday.

A 79-year-old Chicago woman died of West Nile encephalitis Aug. 30; her case was reported to the Chicago Department of Public Health over the weekend, said Dr. John Lumpkin, the state's public health director.

The state public health department confirmed 44 new cases of the mosquito-borne disease Monday, bringing Illinois' total to 268, Lumpkin said.

Human cases have been identified in 23 of the state's 102 counties, according to public health officials.

Two counties -- Edgar and Kankakee -- recorded their first cases Monday.

"The escalating number of human cases underscores how pervasive this virus has become in our state," Lumpkin said. "Until there are sustained cool temperatures or a hard frost, it is incumbent on all of us to take the steps necessary to reduce the chance of a mosquito bite."