Mosquitoes in Skokie tests positive for West Nile virus – TribLocal
Mosquitoes trapped in Skokie have tested positive for West Nile virus, village health officials announced.
The results are the first this year of mosquitoes in Skokie testing positive for the virus, officials said.
Residents can protect themselves from contracting the virus by staying indoors at dawn, dusk or early evening, by wearing long sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors, and by using insect repellent.
Symptoms of West Nile virus range from mild to severe, and include fever, headache, body ache, skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, stiff neck, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, paralysis – and in rare instances, death.
“Symptoms generally occur three to 14 days following the bite of an infected mosquito,” officials said in a release. “Anyone can get West Nile virus, however, people over 50 years old or individuals with a weakened immune system have the highest risk of developing severe illness.”
Residents who are experiencing any of the afore-mentioned symptoms should contact their personal physician.
Officials offered tips that property owners can take to eliminate areas where mosquitoes can breed. Those tips include regular removal or changing of standing water in birdbaths, potted plants, children’s pools and gutters. Officials also recommend keeping grass and shrubbery cut short.
Any resident who finds a dead bird should call the Skokie Health Department at 847-933-8484 for testing.
“Historically, some birds have tested positive for West Nile virus, and results from testing help to determine the extent of West Nile virus activity,” officials said.
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