The Desplaines Valley Mosquito Abatement District reports that it has found its first West Nile Virus(WNV) positive mosquito batch in their La Grange trap. WNV is ever present within the mosquito population at varying levels, so positive tests may be found at any given time, though it does not necessarily mean a high risk of infection (this is only one positive test of multiple tests from the same trap). As noted in the attached press release, weather conditions in the last few weeks have been ideal for amplification of the vector mosquito population and WNV transmission cycle. Further monitoring will let the Mosquito Abatement District know if the WNV cycle is amplifying to the point where there is a significant risk of human infection.
Many things can be done by residents to minimize mosquito activity and WNV transmission, such as eliminating sources of standing water on property (unrimmed tires, trash cans, buckets), limiting outdoor activity at dusk and wearing long sleeves/pants and loose fitting light colored clothing. Please visit the Desplaines Valley Mosquito Abatement District website here or the Village website here for more information.