THE FOLLOWING IS A VERMILION COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT RELEASE
A mosquito batch collected in rural Westville has been the first to test positive for the West Nile virus this year in Vermilion County. The Vermilion County Health Department has collected 80 mosquito trap samples since May.
Each year during the months of May through the end of September, Environmental Health staff members set mosquito traps throughout the county. The trapped mosquitos are then collected and tested for the West Nile Virus.
“Currently, the Department has 19 traps set up throughout the county. We’ve processed about 80 samples which amounts to roughly 4000 mosquitoes,” said Lee Schuler, environmental health inspector. “This provides an excellent window into possible insect borne disease pools in our county. It’s a simple preventative program that allows us to immediately uncover and act on vector borne disease issues before it starts affecting our residents.”
During the mosquito season the Environmental Health Division asks the public’s assistance in reporting birds that appear to have died of natural causes, and which may have West Nile Virus, by calling (217) 431-2662, ext. 5. These birds are collected and submitted to the University of Illinois’ Veterinary School laboratory to be tested for the virus. There have not been any positive birds reported in the county this year. The virus can be transferred to humans by the bite of the Culex mosquito if the mosquito has bitten an infected bird.
County residents can call the environmental health department to report stagnant, standing water that may be a mosquito breeding site. Staff may be able to apply larvicide to the site.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reports that as of Sept. 13, 2024, there have been 34 human cases of West Nile Virus in Illinois. Of the total 14,315 mosquito samples collected, 19.3% have been found to be positive for the virus. Of the 155 birds tested to date, 34 have been found to be positive for the virus. So far, 66 of the 102 counties in Illinois have reported West Nile Virus positive mosquito batches or birds.
Taking some simple precautions can help you avoid mosquito bites, regardless of the type of mosquito or the diseases they carry. Precautions that the Illinois Department of Public Health recommends include the practice of the three “R’s” – reduce, repel, report.
* REDUCE exposure – avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn.
* Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut, especially at night.
* Eliminate all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires and any other receptacles.
* REPEL – when outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and apply insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR 3535, according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.
* REPORT – In communities where there are organized mosquito control programs, contact your municipal government to report areas of stagnant water in roadside ditches, flooded yards and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes.
