Lake County's First West Nile Virus Positive Mosquitoes Of 2024 Found In Highland Park

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — The first mosquitoes of the year to test positive for the West Nile virus in Lake County have been discovered in Highland Park, public health officials announced.

A batch of mosquitoes collected on June 12 later tested positive for the virus, representatives of the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center said Friday.

“With the warmer weather, people spend more time outdoors and mosquitoes become active,” Alana Bartolai, ecological services program coordinator at the health department, said in a statement. "From late spring to fall, we set traps around Lake County and monitor weekly for this public health threat.”

The department’s mosquito surveillance program coordinates mosquito trapping results throughout the county, monitors reports of dead birds — an early sign of the presence of the virus — and investigates stagnant water areas for mosquito larvae.

Health officials recommend residents get rid of standing water and items that can hold stagnant pools beloved by breeding mosquitoes.

Buckets, gutters, plant containers, kiddie pools and other items around homes and businesses can quickly spawn more mosquitoes, the primary carriers of West Nile.

To reduce the risk of bites, officials recommend using insect repellant, dressing to cover up exposed skin and avoiding mosquito prime time around dawn and dusk.

Last year, 173 out of 763 mosquito pools tested positive for West Nile virus in Lake County, and there was just a single human case.

Since 2002, there have been 80 confirmed human cases of West Nile virus in Lake County, along with four confirmed deaths.

Most people infected with West Nile virus never show any symptoms. However, some can become ill three days to two weeks after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Common symptoms include fever, nausea, headache and muscle ache.

Severe illness, including meningitis or encephalitis, can occur in some people. Those who are over 50 years old or who have weakened immune systems are at higher risk for severe illness.

“We expect mosquitoes every summer, but it's important to remember that they can also carry diseases like West Nile virus,” Executive Director Mark Pfister said in a statement. “We can take steps to ‘Fight the Bite' to protect ourselves and our families from a potentially deadly disease.”

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