West Nile Virus found in mosquitoes in DuPage County

DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill. — Health officials in DuPage County are offering a warning to residents after mosquito batches, which tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV), were located in the county this month.

According to the DuPage County Health Department (DCHD), on Tuesday, June 18, WNV-positive pools of mosquitoes were collected in Bartlett and another WNV-positive pool was located in Wood Dale on Thursday, June 17.

So far this year, there have not been any cases of WNV in humans in the state.

Following the identification of the mosquito batches, health officials in DuPage County are reminding residents to take the proper precautions to reduce their risk of contraction.

Health officials advise residents to practice the following ‘4 Ds of Defense’:

Drain : Residents are advised to drain items that collect standing water around homes, yards, or businesses and scrub and refill pet water dishes and birdbaths regularly.

Defend : Residents should use insect repellents that contain DEET when outdoors and reapply according to directions.

Dress : Residents are advised to wear long pants, long sleeves, and closed-toe shoes to cover the skin when outside.

Dusk to Dawn : Residents should also wear EPA-registered insect repellent outdoors during these prime times for mosquito activity.

Officials in DuPage County have since moved the Personal Protection Index (PPI) risk level from zero to one – Drain and Defend.

The PPI is updated each Wednesday at 3 p.m. throughout WVN season as officials continue to collect and test mosquitoes in traps around the county

DuPage County is not the first in Chicagoland to find cases of West Nile Virus .

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health , 21 counties in the state have been found to have WNV-positive birds and mosquitoes this year.

State officials say within those 21 counties, 11 birds and 52 batches of mosquitoes have tested positive so far.

In 2023, the state saw 119 human WVN cases and 3,388 positive mosquito batches.

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