A 30-year-old DeKalb County female has been infected with the West Nile virus, and now is hospitalized.

This is the second human case of the West Nile virus in DeKalb County.

This case, and 17 others recently announced, brings Illinois’ total to 518, making it the nation’s leader in West Nile cases.

The woman was infected with the more deadly form of the virus called encephalitis, according to the Associated Press.

Encephalitis can cause stupor, convulsions, paralysis and, in some cases, death.

“Based on outbreaks in other countries, the fatality rate has been 4 to 15 percent of those hospitalized, and those rates have remained the same for the U.S. outbreaks,” said Karen Grush, DeKalb County Public Health administrator.

“DeKalb is no different from any other county in Illinois,” Grush added.

The first case of West Nile in DeKalb County affected a 55-year-old male.

This time, a much younger female victim was infected.

The average age of those infected with the virus in Illinois is 56.

Illinois now has the highest number of human West Nile infections; 39 counties have reported human cases of the virus.

The DeKalb County Health Department advises people to avoid going outside during times when mosquitoes are prevalent. People also should use insect repellents containing DEET.

DeKalb County added larvicide briquettes to areas of standing water, which prevents mosquitoes from reaching adulthood.

For information on the virus and how it is transmitted, call the DeKalb County Department of Public Health at 758-6673, or visit the Centers for Disease Control’s web site at www.cdc.gov.

–Police and fire reporter Nick Swedberg contributed to this report.