Evanston Mosquitoes Test Positive For West Nile Virus

A pool of mosquitoes collected by the Evanston Health and Human Services Department on Wednesday became the first to test positive for the West Nile virus in Evanston this year.

Related: Winnetka Mosquitoes Test Positive For West Nile Virus

The city of Evanston offers the following tips:

• Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn.

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

• 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 that can support mosquito breeding, including water in bird baths, ponds, flower pots, wading pools, old tires and any other receptacles.

Contact the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District via email at nsmad@nsmad.com or call 847-446-9434 to report areas of stagnant water in roadside ditches, flooded yards and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes.