Mosquitoes With West Nile Virus Found In Kenilworth, Northfield

NORTHFIELD, IL — The North Shore Mosquito Abatement District announced Thursday it found the mosquitoes with West Nile virus in Kenilworth and Northfield for the first time this year. Mosquitoes collected from a trap in Kenilworth on Friday and from one in Northfield on Monday tested positive for the virus at the district's lab on Wednesday.

As this week, the district has found seven samples of mosquitoes that tested positive for the virus out of 201 batches collected from traps, including earlier West Nile-positive samples from Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview, Northbrook and Winnetka.

So far in 2019, mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus in Cook, DuPage and Will counties, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Last year, there were 17 deaths among 176 confirmed human cases of the virus, up from eight deaths and 90 human cases in 2017, IDPH reported.

No human cases have yet been identified in Illinois this year, according to the state agency. 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 can often go unreported, according to health officials.

Ngozi Ezike, the acting director of IDPH, said West Nile virus activity will continue to increase as temperatures rise.

"While we see West Nile virus in Illinois every year, it is important not to become complacent," Ezike said. "It's easy to take precautions to protect yourself by wearing insect repellent and getting rid of standing water around your home."

People can become infected with West Nile after being bitten by mosquitoes, who catch the virus by feeding on infected birds. People who notice sick or dying perching birds should contact their local health department to determine if the bird should be collected for testing.

The risk of human infection is currently low, but the district recommended people still take measures to protect themselves from mosquito bites. It also urged residents to take a look around their homes and property and get rid of anything that might be holding water, especially smaller items that might be missed. Anything that can hold water can breed mosquitoes, district officials emphasized.

Residents can report standing water, biting mosquito activity or dead bird sightings online.