Naperville city officials are urging residents to be cautious after two mosquito traps tested positive for West Nile virus.
The two traps that tested positive were on Oleson Drive and Jackson Avenue, according to a news release from the city.
In response to the positive samples, city crews have sprayed immediate areas, checked for breeding sites and retreated area catch basins, the release said. The city will take further precautions by spraying the area around Jackson Avenue on Aug. 29 in advance of the start of Last Fling, Naperville’s annual Labor Day Weekend festival.
City efforts to prevent the virus from spreading include removing standing water and treating ponds, marshes and catch basins with safe chemicals during mosquito season from April through October. Mosquito traps are monitored every week and chemicals are sprayed when necessary to control the adult mosquito population.
Naperville is not the only municipality to detect West Nile virus this summer. Earlier this month, Chicago health officials confirmed three people between the ages of 40 and 80 tested positive for the virus. In addition to those cases, the Illinois Department of Public Health has reported five other cases West Nile in DuPage, DeKalb, Lake, Madison and Wayne counties.
Last year, the state health agency reported 69 human cases resulting in 13 deaths. Nearly half were in Cook County.
To prevent mosquito bites, city officials recommend removing standing water, applying mosquito repellant with 25% to 35% DEET, and wearing loose-fitting, long-sleeved clothing. The city also urges residents to make sure all window screens are intact, roof gutters are clear, and grass and shrubs cut short.
Most people who are infected with West Nile do not feel symptoms or have very mild symptoms three to 14 days after they are bit, the city release said. Mild symptoms include a fever, headache and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.
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Fewer than 1% of people develop severe symptoms, with people over 50 most at risk.