Kane County mosquitoes test positive for West Nile

A mosquito pool near Hampshire has tested positive for the presence of West Nile virus, the Kane County Health Department announced Tuesday.

It is the first positive mosquito pool test of 2007 and follows an announcement earlier this summer that a 46-year-old Elburn woman was the first person this year confirmed to fall victim to the mosquito-borne illness.

"This is the time of the year when residents need to take action to prevent West Nile virus," Health Department Executive Director Paul Kuehnert said, adding that mosquitoes breed in warm weather.

Officials say the best way to prevent the disease is to protect against mosquito bites. West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird.

Last year, four human cases were reported in Kane County. That was down from a high of 17 cases in 2005.

Most people with the virus have no clinical symptoms of illness, but some may become ill three to 14 days after getting bitten.