West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes found in Skokie, Wilmette

A North Shore government agency has located West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes in Wilmette and Skokie, officials announced Wednesday.  

The mosquitos were collected in traps between June 13 and June 17 by the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District and tested in the local agency’s lab as part of its mission to control the regional mosquito population and reduce the risk of mosquito borne illnesses, according to a statement from the agency.

Though the mosquitoes were the first ones to be found that test positive for West Nile virus in Wilmette and Skokie this year, mosquitoes already tested positive for the virus in Niles and Glenview earlier this month, according to the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District’s Mosquito surveillance dashboard.

So far, these are the only four pools with positive results of 233 pools tested for West Nile virus this year.

West Nile virus is a disease transmitted by mosquito bites that causes fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea or rash, according to the CDC. Although it can be asymptomatic, about 1 in every 150 people affected develop a serious illness, which in some cases can be fatal.

The current risk level for West Nile virus is low, but illness prevalence tends to increase later in the summer, the agency said. The agency also urged people to use protective measures to minimize risk of exposure to mosquitoes and the virus. 

People should examine their property for items that can hold water, which in turn breeds mosquitoes. They should also use insect repellent, wear loose-fitting clothes and avoid mosquitoes’ primary feeding times at dawn and dusk.

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