Community Corner
As West Nile Season Starts, Health Dept. Begins Mosquito Monitoring
Health officials are monitoring mosquitoes at 12 sites throughout Will County, and ask for the public's help by reporting dead birds.
Will County Environmental Health began its 2013 mosquito monitoring on Thursday.
According to the health department, Environmental Health personnel will conduct weekly monitoring at more than a dozen locations throughout the county. The first mosquito samples were collected Thursday, despite wet conditions at some trap locations that made collection difficult. Weekly mosquito monitoring has been a capstone of Will County's West Nile Virus (WNV) surveillance and prevention programs since 2002, when Illinois led the nation with 884 human cases and 64 fatalities.
WNV is a mosquito-borne disease capable of producing encephalitis and meningitis, potentially fatal inflammations of the brain and spinal chord.
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Will County began dead bird surveillance for WNV May 15. Dead bird and mosquito testing provides a glimpse of potential WNV trends that could warrant public health intervention.
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The health department offers the following tips to reduce your risk of WNV:
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- Wear light-colored clothing and long sleeves
- Eliminate potential mosquito breeding sites on your property
- Use insect repellent contaning DEET
- Avoid outdoor activities at dusk and near dawn, when mosquitoes are most active
Will County had had 66 confirmed human WNV infections and two fatalities since 2005. Across Illinois, WNV has accounted for at least 1976 human cases and 120 fatalities.
Will County's WNV Information line is available 24 hours daily for those wishing to report the location of dead birds or learn general information about virus symptoms, history and statistics. Callers to 815-740-7631 can also talk to Health Department personnel about WNV issues during regular weekly business hours.
For more information about WNV, visit www.idph.state.il.us
Related:
- Health Department Confirms Second West Nile Death in DuPage County
- Plainfield Woman Among Confirmed West Nile Cases
- More West Nile Virus Cases Pop Up in Will County
- Bolingbrook Woman Diagnosed with West Nile Virus
- Will County's First Human Case of West Nile Reported in Romeoville
- Map: Cases of West Nile Virus in Chicago's Suburbs
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