Residents Urged to Help Reduce Mosquito Population After West Nile Virus Found

Submitted by the city of Naperville

The is reminding residents to protect themselves and their families from mosquito bites and help reduce the number of potential mosquito breeding sites around their home.

Residents are encouraged to remove areas of standing water from their property, as it can act as a breeding ground for this insect.

Earlier: 

One City mosquito trap in and one DuPage County trap in the area near Naper Boulevard and Bailey Road tested positive for West Nile Virus the weeks of July 2 and July 9. Since that time, City crews have sprayed the area twice as a precaution using the safest chemicals available in very low volumes. Department of Public Works crews have also checked the area for breeding sites and retreated catch basins. 

West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne virus that is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. Most people who are infected with the West Nile Virus have no symptoms or experience very mild symptoms three to 14 days after the bite of an infected mosquito.

Mild symptoms include a fever, headache and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.

Less than 1 percent of infected people with West Nile Virus will develop severe symptoms. These symptoms include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis. Persons older than 50 years of age and immunocompromised persons (e.g. transplant patients) have the highest risk of severe disease.

The best way to prevent West Nile disease or any other mosquito-borne illness is to reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home and to take personal precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Precautions include:

• Whenever outdoors between dusk and dawn, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Loose fitting, light colored clothing is best. Consider staying indoors at dusk and dawn, which is peak mosquito biting time.
• Apply insect repellant to exposed skin when outdoors. The most effective repellents contain DEET. Use caution when applying repellant to children. Products containing 10 percent or less DEET are the most appropriate for children from 2 to 12 years of age. Use repellents as directed by the manufacturer.
• Install tight-fitting window and door screens. Check for and repair any tears in residential screens, including porches and patios. Try to keep doors and windows shut, especially at night.
• Reduce or eliminate the amount of standing water around your home. Remove old tires, tin cans, flower pots and buckets and change the water in birdbaths at least once a week. Any container holding water for more than four days can become a breeding ground for thousands of mosquitoes. 
• Keep gutters clear of debris.
• Keep grass cut short and shrubbery well trimmed around your home.
• Eliminate yard ruts and puddles.
• Aerate ornamental ponds or stock with larvae eating fish.
• Use Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), available in hardware stores, in any standing water around your home.

For more information on the City of Naperville’s Mosquito Abatement Program, visit www.naperville.il.us/mosquitocontrol.aspx.