West Nile virus found in Skokie mosquitoes; risk remains low, but number of mosquitoes on rise

Mosquitoes trapped in Skokie last week tested positive for the West Nile virus on Wednesday, July 8, according to a news release from the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District

The abatement district, a local and public agency, has (as of press time) collected and tested more than 500 batches of mosquitoes this season. With the recent positive samples in Skokie and Deerfield, 21 total samples — including five in Evanston and two in Wilmette —have tested positive for West Nile virus, according to the district’s Mosquito Surveillance Dashboard.

Considering the rate of West Nile virus and the volume of mosquitoes, the abatement district says the current risk of human infection of the virus is low.

The number of mosquitoes per trap (61.7) in Cook County, however, is above average for this point in the season (Week 27). For reference, the number of mosquitoes per district trap in the previous week was just 8.2, and 61.7 is the second highest mosquitoes/trap figure since 2010. In 2018, that number was 250.

The district’s Lake County traps (covering Highland Park, Deerfield and Riverwoods also jumped in the past week — from fewer than 10 in Week 26 to more than 20 in Week 27. This is the first year the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District is covering communities in Lake County, following the dissolution of the South Lake Mosquito Abatement District.

Safety measures

While the current risk is low, the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District urges residents to use protective measures to minimize risk of exposure to mosquitoes and the virus, such as:

• Applying EPA-registered insect repellant,
• Wearing loose-fitting clothing,
• Avoiding the outdoors around dusk and dawn, and
• Eliminating from their property any items (big or small) that can hold water.

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.

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