West Nile Virus Found in Mosquitoes Earlier Thanks to Warm Weather

Summer has yet to arrive, but the DuPage County Health Department is reporting mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus were found in DuPage County.

Last year, the Health Department’s first announcement of mosquitoes testing positive for the virus was made in July. The warm weather is the reason for the early positive results, the Health Department said in a news release. 

Mosquitoes tested positive in five communities in southeast DuPage County, according to the Health Department. The communities include: Clarendon Hills, Hinsdale, Lisle, Westmont and Woodridge. 

No human cases of West Nile virus have been reported yet in DuPage County, the Health Department said.

West Nile virus is transmitted to people from the bite of a mosquito, which gets the virus from biting an infected bird. Most people who get the virus have no symptoms. Some people become ill within three to 15 days of being bitten, according to the Health Department.

The DuPage County Health Department offers these tips to prevent West Nile Virus:

• Reduce exposure - avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn.  Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens.  Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings.  Try to keep doors and windows shut, especially at night. Eliminate all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires and any other receptacles. 

• Repel - when outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and apply insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR 3535, according to label instructions.  Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.

• Report - In communities where there are organized mosquito control programs, contact your municipal government to report areas of stagnant water in roadside ditches, flooded yards and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes.

The Health Department is collecting freshly-dead birds (such as crows or blue jays) for WNV testing. The birds must not show any signs of decay or trauma. To report a dead bird, call 630-682-7400.