Cases of mosquitoes infected with West Nile Virus are on the rise in DuPage County, prompting the health department to issue an advisory encouraging residents to take steps to avoid being bitten.
According to the advisory, batches of mosquitoes are testing positive for the virus in the county, and DuPage isn’t the only county experiencing an uptick in infections. Other northeastern Illinois counties have also seen an increase in mosquitoes infected with the blood-borne illness.
The health department maintains a Personal Protection Index (PPI) on the county’s website to let residents know about the spread of the virus. That level has been set at “2” on a scale of 0-to-3, according to the county, denoting a moderate risk to residents.
The county is encouraging residents to drain standing water around their properties, to use mosquito repellant when venturing outdoors, and to wear long pants and sleeves, especially during peak hours at dawn and dusk.
Other areas, including Lake and Cook counties, have had mosquitoes test positive for the virus, but there is only one reported case of a human contracting the virus, which occurred in Will County earlier this summer.
