Mosquitoes Test Positive For West Nile In Skokie And Lincolnwood

SKOKIE, IL — Mosquitoes with West Nile virus were found in two North Shore communities for the first time this year. The North Shore Mosquito Abatement District announced batches of mosquitoes collected from traps in Lincolnwood and Skokie Monday tested positive for the virus Thursday. Five batches of mosquitoes across five towns have tested positive out of 448 tested so far in 2018 in the North Shore district, which covers more than a dozen municipalities in northern Cook County.

The Illinois Department of Public Health has detected the first human case of West Nile virus in the state reported in 2018. A Chicago woman in her 60s became ill in mid-May, the department confirmed Wednesday. Last year, the first human case was not reported until July 20.

Glenview, Morton Grove and Niles are the only other North Shore towns to have detected the virus in samples so far this year. But with higher temperatures and recent heavy rains, the conditions are ripe for a growing mosquito population to spread the disease to more humans.

People are infected by mosquitoes that catch the virus by feeding on infected birds. Symptoms include fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches and may last up to several weeks, although four of five people people infected with West Nile never show any symptoms so human cases go underreported, according to health officials. Eight people died among 90 reported human cases of the virus in 2017.

"West Nile virus can cause serious illness in some people," said IDPH Director Nirav Shah, announcing the diagnoses. "So it's important that you take precautions like wearing insect repellent and getting rid of stagnant water around your home."

More: First Human Case Of West Nile Virus In Illinois For 2018 »

Contact your local health department if you notice a sick or dying crow, blue jay, robin or one of several other species. The disease generally appears and grows in bird and mosquito populations before being transmitted to humans, according to public health officials. To report areas of stagnant water that may produce mosquitoes in roadside ditches, flooded yards or elsewhere contact the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District by calling 847-446-9434 or emailing NSMAD@nsmad.com.

Earlier: 1st West Nile Mosquitoes Of Year Found In Glenview, Morton Grove

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