Mosquitoes Testing Positive for the West Nile Virus Found in Illinois

As of Wednesday, it is being reported by the Illinois Department of Public Health that the first mosquitoes to test positive for the West Nile Virus have been confirmed.

The mosquitoes that tested positive were found in Glenview and Morton Grove. Both cites are about an hour and twenty minutes drive from Rockford.

As of right now, no human cases of West Nile have been reported.

As the temperatures start to rise with the approach to the official start of summer, an increase in mosquito and West Nile activity will also occur too.

If you are bitten by the annoying bug, keep an eye on the mark they leave behind. It normally takes 3 to 14 days for symptoms of the West Nile virus to start to develop. So if you start to run a fever and the red area is expanding, contact your doctor.

Reports indicate that about one in five people will develop a fever, along with other symptoms such as a headache, body aches, vomiting, joint pain, diarrhea, or a rash. However, most will just develop an immunity to the virus and never develop West Nile.

There are ways to take precautions to protect you and your family from the West Nile Virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have posted these ways to help you and your family:

• Use Insect Repellent - Use an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered insect repellent. One that contains one of these active ingredients: DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD)
• Wear Long-Sleeves and Long-Pants - From dusk through dawn is when mosquitoes are most active. So if you plan on being out for an extended period of time, you should dress accordingly.
• Install or repair screens - Double check your windows and doors to make sure your screens are intact. Or if you can, use air conditioning.
• Get rid of any standing water around your home - This goes for both inside and outside. Mosquitoes lay their eggs near water. Once a week empty things like buckets, bird baths, planters, etc.