West Nile Mosquitoes Found in Glen Ellyn

There's a buzz in the air in Glen Ellyn, but it's most likely not something village residents will appreciate—mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes are in abundance this summer due to a higher than average amount of rainfall. And some of those mosquitoes in Glen Ellyn show strains of West Nile Virus, according to the DuPage County Health Department. However, there have been no reported cases of people in Glen Ellyn contracting the virus this year. This year's first reported case of West Nile Virus in DuPage County was found in a Carol Stream woman last week. No human cases were reported in DuPage County in 2009.

Since 1999, the virus has spread across the United States, infecting nearly 30,000 people. Symptoms of the disease are usually non-existent, or similar to the flu. However, in some cases, the virus can be fatal.

"A lot of people can have a brush with West Nile and never know about it," said David Hass, public information officer for the health department. "If you're in general good health you may only experience a head ache or some cold symptoms. But it can make someone quite sick."

Not all mosquitoes carry the West Nile Virus, Hass said. Hass explained that the bulk of the mosquitoes in Glen Ellyn and the rest of DuPage County are ordinary mosquitoes that are more of an annoyance than a medical danger. Those are the mosquitoes that flourish in wetter weather. The mosquitoes that carry the West Nile Virus prefer dry, hot weather, he said.

"We have had some dry and hot days this summer, which is what the West Nile mosquitoes prefer," Hass said.

The health department has 40 locations across the county where they trap mosquitoes for testing. The majority of the mosquitoes trapped are not the variety that carries the virus. However, Hass said about 20 DuPage municipalities reported high activity in West Nile mosquitoes, which means two or more of the batches trapped contained mosquitoes with the virus.

Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk, Hass said. There are precautions residents can take to avoid being bitten by a mosquito, including wearing long sleeves and long pants. Hass said people should be regularly change standing water in containers like wading pools and bird baths. He said lawns should be kept short too.

One method of combating the mosquitoes is spraying. The Glen Ellyn Mosquito Abatement program has a contract with Clarke Mosquito Control, an environmental services company based in Roselle. Laura McGown, a Clarke spokesperson, said her company has a two-pronged mosquito abatement program that includes spraying for adults and traps for mosquito larvae.

As the weather cools, the mosquitoes will be less active. However it will take a hard freeze to eliminate the problem.

"We can have nights that are quite cold, but if it doesn't dip below freezing, the mosquitoes will not go away," McGown said.