CHICAGO — A Chicago resident has died from West Nile virus, marking the first death linked to the mosquito-borne illness in both the city and the state of Illinois this year, health officials announced Tuesday.

The Chicago Department of Public Health confirmed the death alongside the city’s first two human cases of West Nile virus in 2026. The department did not disclose further details about the person who died, including their age or the specific area of the city where they likely contracted the illness.

CDPH Commissioner Dr. Garth Walker pointed to the city’s unusually wet summer as a key factor contributing to elevated mosquito activity this year.

“2026 has seen the rainiest summer in Chicago in years, giving mosquitoes ample opportunities to breed,” Walker said in a statement. “The best way to protect yourself from West Nile virus is to avoid mosquito bites and take measures to stop them from breeding around your home.”

Data on Chicago’s rainfall this year supports that assessment. Midway Airport recorded more than 20 inches of rainfall between June 1 and early August, well above the roughly 13 inches the Southwest Side airport typically sees between June and late August in a normal year. Standing water left behind by heavy rain creates additional breeding grounds for mosquitoes, increasing the overall risk of transmission for mosquito-borne illnesses like West Nile virus.

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Sameer Vohra emphasized the broader statewide significance of the year’s first fatality.

“The year’s first death in Illinois related to West Nile virus is a sobering reminder to take mosquito-borne illness seriously,” Vohra said. He noted that while most people infected with the virus do not experience serious symptoms, certain populations face significantly elevated risk.

“While most people won’t experience serious symptoms, West Nile virus can lead to severe illness in high-risk groups such as older adults, individuals with chronic medical conditions, and immunocompromised persons,” Vohra said.

Tuesday’s announcement followed a related development just days earlier, when the Cook County Department of Public Health reported the season’s first four West Nile virus cases in the Chicago suburbs. The Illinois Department of Public Health separately confirmed its first human case of the virus for the year the previous week, involving a resident of downstate Piatt County.

According to figures from the state’s public health department, Illinois recorded 10 deaths linked to West Nile virus last year, out of a total of 150 confirmed human cases statewide.

West Nile virus remains the most common cause of mosquito-borne disease in both Chicago and the United States more broadly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus is transmitted to humans primarily through the bite of an infected mosquito, with the underlying transmission cycle involving infected birds; mosquitoes that feed on infected birds can subsequently acquire and spread the virus to humans and other animals through later bites.

Health officials emphasized that human-to-human transmission of West Nile virus is extremely rare. Most people infected with the virus, roughly four out of five according to state health officials, experience no symptoms whatsoever. Among those who do develop symptoms, most face a relatively mild illness involving fever and flu-like symptoms, occurring in roughly one in five infections.

A smaller subset of cases can progress to severe, neuroinvasive disease, occurring in approximately one in 150 infections, according to figures cited by health officials. In these more serious cases, the virus reaches the brain or spinal cord, potentially causing encephalitis, meningitis or acute flaccid paralysis, conditions that can result in long-term complications or death, particularly among higher-risk populations.

Chicago officials identified the groups facing the highest risk of severe illness as people over age 60, individuals with chronic medical conditions, and those who are immunocompromised. Public health experts have noted that this risk disparity means the practical impact of the virus varies enormously based on individual health status and age, even though exposure to mosquito bites carrying the virus may be similar across different populations within the same geographic area.

There is currently no vaccine available for West Nile virus in humans, and no specific antiviral treatment exists for the illness. Medical care for patients who develop severe disease is generally limited to supportive treatment aimed at managing symptoms and complications rather than directly targeting the virus itself.

In response to the rising mosquito activity, CDPH has maintained an active mosquito control program throughout the summer, including treating more than 80,000 catch basins across the city with larvicide to kill immature mosquitoes before they mature, along with ongoing efforts to collect and test mosquito populations for the presence of West Nile virus. The department has also conducted targeted insecticide spraying in specific geographic areas when testing indicates elevated risk, deploying that response across 15 different Chicago community areas over the past several weeks, including Beverly, Burnside, Chatham, East Garfield Park, Lower West Side, Morgan Park, Near West Side, North Lawndale, O’Hare, Pullman, Roseland, South Deering, Washington Heights, West Lawn and West Pullman.

As of the department’s most recent update, West Nile virus risk in Chicago was rated as moderate, with officials continuing to encourage residents citywide to take precautionary measures against mosquito bites regardless of their specific neighborhood.

Health officials recommend that residents use insect repellent registered with the Environmental Protection Agency, containing active ingredients such as DEET, picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus, applied according to product label instructions. Additional recommended precautions include wearing long sleeves and pants when outdoors, particularly during dawn and dusk hours when mosquitoes are most active, and eliminating standing water around homes and yards to reduce local mosquito breeding opportunities.

Late August and September mark peak transmission months for West Nile virus in the Chicago area, meaning officials expect continued mosquito activity and potential additional cases in the weeks ahead as the region moves through the remainder of the transmission season. Public health officials have indicated that risk from the virus typically persists until the first hard frost of the year, underscoring the importance of continued precautions well into the fall months as temperatures gradually decline.

By Jennifer Nash

The latest employment report showed that 162,000 jobs were added in August, compared to July’s 21,000 gain. This figure was significantly higher than the projected addition of 55,000 jobs. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate was unchanged

Every year, the festive season shines up with Ganesh Chaturthi, with the crescendo building up through Navratri and Durga Puja, and the finale landing on Dhanteras and Diwali before the wedding season takes over. This is accompanied with higher footfalls, orders, ticket sizes and margins.

This year’s festive season comes at a crucial juncture. Following the outbreak of the US-Iran conflict earlier this year, oil prices have seen a skyrocketing rally and spiked inflationary worries. Bajaj Broking in its monthly outlook report highlighted that this has increased input cost pressures and injected fresh uncertainty into corporate and consumer decision-making.

Over the last two months, most of the market commentaries pointed towards a stronger consumer demand during the festive season despite implications of the war, the domestic brokerage however noted, adding that consumer companies, retailers, automobile manufacturers and e-commerce platforms are broadly preparing for high single-digit to low double-digit growth in festive demand, supported by urban consumption resilience, easier financial conditions and the continued premiumisation trend across product categories.

What’s boosting hopes for a strong festive season?

While concerns prevail, urban demand continues to remain resilient. Strong employment conditions in services sectors, healthier household balance sheets and moderating borrowing costs are expected to support discretionary spending, the domestic brokerage said, adding that retail financing, consumer durable loans, vehicle financing and credit card spending typically accelerate during the festive period, amplifying purchasing power.

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At the same time, aggressive promotional campaigns from retailers and e-commerce platforms are likely to stimulate sales across categories ranging from smartphones and electronics to apparel and home improvement products, it added.
“Demand across premium automobiles, smartphones, jewellery, travel, hospitality and branded apparel has consistently outpaced mass-market segments as higher-income consumers remain relatively insulated from inflationary pressures. Market commentaries suggest that nearly 45% of consumers intend to increase festive spending this year, with purchase intentions strongest for jewellery, home appliances and personal gadgets,” Bajaj Broking said.

Which sectors will outperform this festive season?

Further, it believes e-commerce is also expected to remain a major beneficiary of increased demand during the festive season. India’s festive shopping ecosystem has become increasingly digital, with Tier- II and Tier-III cities emerging as powerful demand centres. Industry studies indicate that smaller cities now contribute a disproportionately large share of festive online demand, reflecting improving internet penetration, digital payments adoption and logistics infrastructure.

From an investment perspective, Bajaj Broking believes that the festive season represents an important test of earnings momentum for the second half of FY27. Strong festive demand would support corporate revenue growth across retail, consumer discretionary, automobiles, hospitality and financial services. Conversely, any weakness in rural spending, combined with inflationary pressures, could temper earnings expectations and keep margins under pressure, according to the brokerage.

Ahead of the festive season, Sunny Agrawal, Head of Fundamental Research at SBI Securities, says that investors should focus on consumer facing non banking financial companies (NBFCs), like the ones who focus on auto, home loan and gold loan, along with auto and auto ancillary, consumption especially discretionary like jewellery, travel, hotel, QSR, fashion brands, as well as home improvement solution providers like paints, tiles, etc.

“For equity markets, a measured and selective approach remains appropriate in the near term. Valuations in several consumer-facing segments already discount a meaningful demand recovery, leaving limited room for disappointment. Furthermore, developments in crude oil prices, inflation trends and monsoon outcomes will continue to influence market sentiment and earnings expectations over the next few months,” Bajaj Broking concluded.

Overall, Bajaj Broking feels that consumer durables and retail have very higher sensitivity to festival season, followed by automobiles and private banks or NBFCs. Hospitality has a medium-high sensitivity, while that for FMCG is medium and low for IT services.

10 stocks that will remain in spotlight

Shrikant Chouhan, Head Equity Research at Kotak Securities, listed out 10 stocks on which the brokerage has a positive view ahead of the festive season, amid expectations of a surge in discretionary spending.

1. M&M

M&M is expected to continue outperforming industry growth across tractor and CV segments and a strong product launch cycle should help sustain SUV segment leadership, Chouhan said. He noted that the company aspires its SUV segment volumes to grow by mid-high teens yoy in FY27E. LCV cycle is also likely to continue its momentum, which aids well for the company. “M&M continues to execute well by maintaining a leadership position in all three segments, an improvement in return ratios and cash flow generation,” the analyst further highlighted.

2. Eicher Motors

The analyst expects Royal Enfield’s domestic volume growth momentum to continue at a healthy pace, and believes that the capacity expansion along with model launches augurs well for the company. A potential entry into the 250 cc segment could further widen the addressable market and attract younger consumers, he said, adding that the aspirational nature of brand and growing disposable income should benefit Royal Enfield’s demand. “We expect gradual improvement in profitability, driven by price increases, value engineering and control over other costs,” he further said.

Also read | Which auto stocks should you buy after August sales? Here are Nomura, other brokerages’ top picks

3. Eternal

Zomato and Blinkit-parent Eternal is a leading Indian internet company operating food delivery, quick commerce (Blinkit), going-out (District), and B2B supplies (Hyperpure), Chouhan noted, adding that the company is transforming into a diversified consumer-tech platform, with Blinkit emerging as the key growth engine. “We expect Eternal to deliver a robust 49% revenue CAGR over FY26–29E, led by rapid expansion in quick commerce and sustained growth in food delivery. As scale improves and operating leverage strengthens, we forecast EBITDA margins to expand from 2.2% in FY2026 to 5.3% in FY29, driving a meaningful improvement in profitability,” he wrote.

4. Nykaa

FSN E-Commerce Ventures’ Nykaa is a leading omnichannel beauty, personal care and fashion retailer with a growing portfolio of owned brands. The company expects strong long-term growth, driven by premiumization, AI-led personalization, faster deliveries, category expansion, and continued investments in customer acquisition, Chouhan noted, adding that improving operating leverage and the scaling up of its beauty, fashion, and owned-brand businesses are expected to support profitability. “We remain positive on the stock given its strong growth outlook and improving earnings profile.”

5. Apollo Hospitals

Apollo Hospitals remains Kotak’s preferred hospital pick. “We like the combination of strong existing-hospital performance, manageable capacity expansion, improving pharmacy profitability and the approaching digital breakeven. Valuations appear reasonable for the quality and growth visibility,” said Chouhan.

6. Dr. Lal PathLabs

Dr. Lal PathLabs is one of India’s leading diagnostic chains, offering pathology and preventive healthcare services through its extensive network of laboratories and collection centres. The analyst from Kotak Securities noted that the company is seeing a steady recovery in test volumes, with Q1FY27 sample volumes growing 11% YoY. Realization per test also increased around 8%. The turnaround in Suburban Diagnostics and calibrated network expansion should further support volume growth, he said. “With management now expecting mid-teens revenue growth in FY27, we expect sales and earnings to remain on a healthy trajectory, with EBITDA and adjusted EPS CAGR of 16% and 15%, respectively, over FY26-29,” he added.

7. ICICI Bank

Adding to the slew of bullish brokerage calls for ICICI Bank, Shrikant Chouhan noted that the company has delivered best-in-class underwriting and resilient asset quality, with net NPLs at historical lows. Strong liability franchise and pricing discipline should support NIM resilience, while loan growth recovery and operating leverage provide scope for sustained 15% RoE, he added.

Also read | Explained: What $127 billion FCNR(B) inflows mean for ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, other bank stocks

8. Axis Bank

Naming Axis Bank as another festive pick, Chouhan said the lender’s retail franchise offers significant growth potential through mortgages, affordable housing, gold and education loans. Technology-led execution and improving branch productivity should drive operating leverage, while lower credit costs and better loan mix provide a path toward improving RoE and potential valuation re-rating.

9. Shriram Finance

The recent MUFG capital infusion and AAA rating upgrade provide a structural funding advantage to Shriram Finance, according to the analyst from Kotak Securities. He noted that lower borrowing costs and improved leverage should support margin expansion and 16% medium-term RoE. Strong asset-quality performance and shift toward newer, lower-risk vehicles support sustainable 17-18% medium-term AUM growth, he further said.

10. Bajaj Finance

Strong 22% AUM growth demonstrates continued momentum across its diversified lending franchise were the key factors highlighted by Chouhan as he named Bajaj Finance as one of his festive picks. He noted that declining credit costs and Fin-AI-led operating leverage should support RoA expansion, while 21-26% medium-term earnings growth and 19-20% RoE offer a compelling growth-profitability combination.

Why caution is warranted

However, the outlook is not risk-free. Monsoon is the most immediate concern, according to Bajaj Broking. It noted that India’s southwest monsoon has underperformed expectations, with cumulative rainfall running nearly 14% below normal by the end of August. Additionally, nearly 47% of India’s districts have received deficient or large-deficient rainfall, according to IMD data.

While agriculture is the obvious victim to deficient rainfall, the implications extend well beyond agriculture. Rural India accounts for a substantial share of demand for two-wheelers (at about 55-56%), entry-level automobiles (50%), consumer durables (6-7%), FMCG products (51%) and discretionary purchases (45%) during the festive season, the brokerage said, adding that a weaker kharif harvest and lower farm incomes could weigh on spending sentiment across large parts of the country.

Inflation is another key variable. The combination of elevated crude oil prices, supply-chain disruptions and weather-related pressures on agricultural output poses an upside risk to inflation during the festive quarter, according to Bajaj Broking.

Also read |Bigger market crash ahead? Analysts weigh how Sensex, Nifty may react if US 10-year bond yield touches 5%

(With inputs from agencies)

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

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