A mosquito pattern has examined optimistic for West Nile virus in Will County, making it the third such batch within the county to check optimistic for the virus this 12 months.
This most up-to-date pattern was collected from a entice close to the Sunny Hill Nursing Home in southwest suburban Joliet, the Will County Health Department mentioned. The first two have been collected within the southwest suburbs of Manhattan and Plainfield.
Will County joins DuPage and Cook Counties as people who have discovered mosquitoes that examined optimistic for West Nile this 12 months, WCHD mentioned. No human circumstances have been reported in Illinois thus far.
In 2018, 4 human circumstances have been reported in Will County and 176 have been reported across the state — 17 of which have been deadly, in response to WCHD and the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The look of the virus is because of the current moist climate, which has led to flooding and standing water, WCHD mentioned. When the climate dries up, the virus can have the potential to unfold extra dangerously as culex mosquitoes, which transport the virus from contaminated birds to people, search for sources of standing water through which to put their eggs.
“People need to get in the habit right now of cleaning out their gutters and rain barrels, changing the water in their birdbaths and kiddie pools, and getting rid of old tires and garbage, or even empty soda cans that collect standing water,” WCHD sanitarian Kyle Moy mentioned. “When the wetness from the rain dries up, the culex mosquitos especially will look for sources like that to keep laying their eggs.”
West Nile virus signs are much like these of the flu, and might embrace fever, headache, physique aches and swollen lymph nodes, WCHD mentioned. Seniors, younger youngsters and other people with weakened immune programs are notably in danger.
Moy mentioned that many individuals ask if retaining a “bat house” on their property might assist maintain them freed from mosquitoes, however he advises in opposition to it.
“For one thing, you have the rabies risk when bats are around,” Moy mentioned. “But also, even though they are known to eat mosquitos, that is not what bats like best. They are more interested in eating moths or larger bugs.”
Instead, folks can put on light-colored, long-sleeved clothes to guard from mosquitoes and use insect repellent that comprises DEET, WCHD mentioned.