Wheaton Free of West Nile Mosquitoes

The city of Wheaton is currently free of West Nile Mosquitoes, according to a DuPage County Health Department report.

In July the health department reported that some mosquitoes in Wheaton tested positive for the virus. The health department expected the number of mosquitoes infected with the virus to increase due to the hot and dry weather of July. However the rains of August caused an explosion in the population of mosquitoes that do not carry the virus.

"Mosquitoes that carry West Nile prefer hot and dry weather," said David Hass, public information officer for the health department.

As September brings cooler weather mosquito activity will diminish, however warm and dry days could cause a spike in the insects carrying the virus, Hass said.

There have been no reported cases of people in Wheaton contracting the virus this year. Last week the first reported case of West Nile Virus in DuPage County of 2010 was found in a Carol Stream woman. No human cases were reported in DuPage County in 2009.

Since 1999, the virus has spread across the United States, infecting nearly 30,000 people. Symptoms of the disease are usually no-existent or similar to the flu, however, in some cases, the virus can be fatal.

Hass said some it's likely some people have contracted the virus but did not know it.

"If you're in general good health you may only experience a head ache or some cold symptoms. But it can make someone quite sick," Hass said.

The health department has 40 locations across the county where they trap mosquitoes for testing. The majority of the mosquitoes trapped are not the variety that carries the virus. However, Hass said about 20 DuPage municipalities reported high activity in West Nile mosquitoes, which means two or more of the batches trapped contained mosquitoes with the virus.

Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk, Hass said. He said there are precautions residents can take to avoid being bitten by a mosquito, including wearing long sleeves and long pants. Hass said people should be regularly change standing water in containers like wading pools and bird baths. He said lawns should be kept short too.

"West Nile virus is here to stay. The health department's message is be aware and do what you can to protect yourself."

One method of combating the mosquitoes is spraying. The Weaton Mosquito Abatement program has a contract with Clarke Mosquito Control, an environmental services company based in Roselle. Laura McGown, a Clarke spokesperson, said her company has a two-pronged mosquito abatement program that includes spraying for adults and traps for mosquito larvae.

As the weather cools, the mosquitoes will be less active. However it will take a hard freeze to eliminate the problem.

"We can have nights that are quite cold, but if it doesn't dip below freezing, the mosquitoes will not go away," McGown said.