West Nile Found in DuPage Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes have tested positive for West Nile virus in DuPage County, the county Health Department reported Friday. The mosquitoes were found in traps in Lemont on Wednesday and Thursday.

The mosquitoes are the first to test positive for the virus in the county and were found in a trap in an area of Lemont that is in southern DuPage, the Health Department said in a news release Friday.

So far, no human cases have been reported in the county this summer, according to the news release.

The DuPage County Health Department is collecting dead birds for testing. County residents who find freshly dead birds, like crows or jays, are asked to contact the department.

The birds must not show any signs of decay or trauma and the Health Department must be able to pick them up in time to be shipped to the state laboratory by the close of business on Thursdays. To report a dead bird, call 630-682-7400.

West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus from feeding on an infected bird, according to the Health Department. Most people with the virus have no clinical symptoms of illness but some may become ill three to 15 days after the bite from an infected mosquito.

For tips on avoiding bug bites this summer, read this Naperville Patch story. 

DuPage County residents who would like to track West Nile in the county may visit www.dupagehealth.org/wnv-map.