Above / Be mindful of places where water collects after a heavy downpour and hope it evaporates quickly to prevent mosquitoes from laying their eggs in as little as a teaspoon of water that might collect on the cupped leaf of a plant. (Photo Wikamedia Commons)
DUPAGE COUNTY—An increase in mosquito samples from Naperville testing positive for West Nile virus (WNV) has the DuPage County Health Department reminding residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites and the risk of contracting WNV.
This report is the first positive test of WNV in mosquitoes in DuPage County this year.
The key factors in determining the degree of West Nile virus activity are temperatures and rainfall. In hot, dry weather, mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus (primarily Culex mosquitoes) breed in stagnant water, like street catch basins and ditches, and multiply rapidly.
“As people spend more time outdoors to physically distance due to COVID-19, we are reminding everyone to protect yourself and your family from mosquitoes and West Nile virus,” said Karen Ayala, Health Department Executive Director.
Follow Four Ds of Defense now through October
Protect yourself, protect your family and prevent mosquitoes from breeding around your home.
- Drain: Drain items that collect standing water around your home, yard or business. Scrub and refill pet water dishes and bird baths regularly.
- Defend: Use an insect repellent containing DEET when outdoors and reapply according to directions.
- Dress: Wear long pants, long sleeves and closed-toe shoes when outside to cover the skin.
- Dawn to Dusk: Wear repellent outdoors during these prime times for mosquito activity.
Residents should check the Personal Protection Index (PPI) on the DuPage County Health Department’s website for the current WNV activity.
To view the PPI page, visit: www.dupagehealth.org/243/Personal-Protection-Index.
The PPI ranges in risk level from zero-to-three, with zero being no activity and three announcing multiple human cases of WNV in DuPage County.
The current level is 1: “Localized abundance of active mosquitoes, climate conditions favorable for development of virus.”
Recommended actions
- Drain those items that collect standing water around your home, yard or business. Scrub and refill pet water dishes and bird baths regularly.
- Defend: Use an insect repellent containing DEET when outdoors and reapply accordingto directions.
PPI update at 3PM every Wednesday during WNV season
The PPI is updated every Wednesday at 3PM throughout the West Nile Virus season by the Health Department’s vector-borne disease surveillance experts.
Many community partners including townships, municipalities and park districts, also have the PPI widget posted to their homepages.
West Nile Virus activity generally decreases in the fall when cooler temperatures arrive and especially after the first frost of the season.
Submitted by Don Bolger, Public Information Officer, DuPage County Health Department
