Mosquitoes waiting for a hot spell
With a nonstop deluge turning the suburbs into bayou country, many are wondering if recent storms mean an onslaught of mosquitoes. And are they infected with West Nile virus?
The answers are no and maybe, experts say.
Recent heavy rains are producing a bumper crop of floodwater mosquitoes. These aren't the type of mosquitoes that transmit West Nile virus, but the Culex species that carries the disease is still alive and well in the collar counties.
"There's plenty of infected Culex out there," said Linn Haramis Illinois Department of Public Health entomologist.
And if the heat spell continues, excess water lying around could provide the habitat West Nile mosquitoes love, officials caution.
In short, keep the bug spray handy.
Floodwater mosquitoes lay their eggs in low-lying areas. The young mosquitoes appear usually two weeks after heavy rains.
"They're a nuisance, they're very thirsty, they bite, but they're harmless," said Thad Koeune, DuPage County Health Department environmental health director.
Culex mosquitoes feed on mammals and birds, which are transmitters of West Nile virus. The mosquitoes deposit their eggs on the surface of standing water; they hatch in two to three days.
The excess rain will actually help to flush out storm drains and other areas where water collects and mosquitoes can breed, Haramis explained.
The trouble will come if temperatures stay high, providing the heat and stagnant water West Nile mosquitoes prefer.
"There's a lot of summer to go. If we go into a hot cycle, we'll have West Nile virus until October," Haramis said.
On Wednesday, state authorities announced three more counties in Illinois were reporting mosquitoes infected with West Nile. So far, 11 people have contracted the disease and 17 out of the state's 102 counties are showing positive results for the virus including Cook, DuPage, Kane and Lake. The first human case was reported in DuPage in June.
Last year, 77 counties had mosquitoes with West Nile virus while 215 individuals were infected, and 10 died.
Disease symptoms include fever, headaches and body aches. The virus hits those older than 50 hardest. In a worst-case scenario, West Nile can cause encephalitis and meningitis and death.
A number of common-sense precautions can reduce the risk of being infected, health experts advise.
•Apply bug spray when outside. It's best for adults to use repellant with 20 percent to 35 percent concentrations of DEET and 10 percent for children.
•Stay inside between dusk and dawn and wear long-sleeved shirts and pants if you're outside after dark.
•Get rid of standing water in your yard.
•Make sure screens in windows and doors are tight-fitting.