West Nile virus found in Evanston mosquitoes

EVANSTON, Ill. - A batch of mosquitoes have tested positive for West Nile virus in north suburban Evanston, city officials announced Wednesday.

The North Shore Mosquito Abatement District collected the positive batch of insects Friday, according to a statement from city of Evanston. 

The first mosquitoes to test positive for West Nile Virus in Illinois this year were detected in Roselle this May.

No human cases of the virus have been reported so far this year.

The virus is transmitted through the bite of a Culex pipiens mosquito — also known as a house mosquito — that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird.

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Symptoms include: fever, nausea, headache and muscle aches.

Health officials say four out of five people infected with West Nile virus will not show any symptoms.

Though rare, severe illness including meningitis, encephalitis, or even death, can occur.

IDPH encourages the public to ‘Fight the Bite’ by practicing the three "R’s" – reduce, repel, and report:

REDUCE - 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. Eliminate, or refresh each week, all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires, and any other containers.

REPEL - when outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a light-colored, long-sleeved shirt, and apply an EPA-registered insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR 3535 according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.

REPORT – report locations where you see water sitting stagnant for more than a week such as roadside ditches, flooded yards, and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes. The local health department or city government may be able to add larvicide to the water, which will kill any mosquito larvae.

Additional information about West Nile virus can be found here.