West Nile mosquitoes found in Glencoe — a regular sign of summer. Abatement district offers advice

The North Shore Mosquito Abatement District is reminding residents to remain vigilant after recently collected mosquitos tested positive for West Nile virus in Glencoe and Northbrook.

Mosquito traps collected on July 11 in the communities tested positive for the virus, joining traps from neighboring communities, such as Kenilworth, Skokie, Glenview and Evanston, that tested positive earlier this summer.

West-Nile-positive traps are found locally every summer, and the mosquito abatement district is calling the risk to humans “low at this time.”

Through July 13, the district has collected 662 batches of mosquitos from its traps. Thirteen of those batches, or about 2 percent, have tested positive for West Nile virus. Five of the positive batches (out of 186 collected) were found in Evanston. Virus-positive batches have yet to be collected this summer from Wilmette and Winnetka.

No human cases have been identified in the district yet in 2022. Last year, six people in the abatement district’s coverage area, which encompasses 14 communities, tested positive for West Nile virus. The 10-year average is 5.2 people per summer, a number anchored by 20 positive human cases in 2012.

The most prolific months of West Nile spread are typically August and September, and the abatement district continues to urge residents to remove all standing water from their yards, as well as minimize mosquito bites by using repellent, wearing loose-fitting clothing and avoiding peak mosquito times (dusk and dawn).

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