The dreaded West Nile virus has been found in four Lake County mosquito pools, including Lake Bluff, Libertyville, Wauconda and Barrington, reports the Lake Forester. "The mosquito pools are the first confirmed indicator of the disease's presence in Lake County in 2008. No human cases in the county have been reported so far this year," states the paper's website. To read the full report, click here.
According to the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center, "West Nile Virus (WNV) was first discovered in the U.S. in New York in 1999. September 2001 marked the first time the virus was identified in Illinois. In 2002, the first human cases of WNV infection in Lake County were confirmed. Since then, there have been a total of 35 human cases in the county with two confirmed deaths. The Health Department and Community Health Center continues to work with the Illinois Department of Public Health and other agencies to prevent and minimize this infection in humans."
Some local pediatricians, such as Highland Park Pediatric Partners, advise parents to keep kids indoors after dusk. But if kids do go out to play, parents are told to use a mosquito repellent on their children, which they should wash off before putting the kids to bed.
