The Lake County General Health District announced Aug. 5 that West Nile Virus has been found in local mosquito populations.
The district is seeking the public's help in reducing the risk of transmission to humans.
The county's goal is to kill adult mosquitoes and eliminate any breeding grounds for the insects in order to protect public health, said Bert Mechenbier, Lake County’s mosquito supervisor.
"We know it's here," he said. "It's going to be here. It's going to be here forever, probably. We've got to see what we can do to get rid of these transmission agents so people don't get infected."
One way to reduce transmission is to eliminate areas of stagnant water, where mosquitoes breed, Mechenbier said, adding that it does not take much water for them to do so.
"Mosquito eggs have been found in small quantities of water that would fit in a bottle cap of water," Mechenbier said. "A bottle cap is enough water for mosquitoes to breed, so you figure that's a few ounces of water in a container, and they will find water anywhere they can."
The county urged residents to do their part by removing any standing water on their properties by cleaning out gutters or throwing away trash like tires, old cans, buckets or other containers that can hold water.
There's no way that we can get to every property in Lake County. It's up to the homeowners to have some responsibility to make sure they're not breeding mosquitoes.Bert Mechenbier, Lake County mosquito supervisor
Taking these steps is important to supplement what the county is doing to kill the insects, Mechenbier said.
"There's no way that we can get to every property in Lake County," he said. "It's up to the homeowners to have some responsibility to make sure they're not breeding mosquitoes."
The county is also preparing to ramp up its spraying programs to kill the insects, Mechenbier said. This comes as Lake County has replaced its old electric spraying equipment with quieter, more environmentally-friendly electric sprayers, which do not emit carbon monoxide gases.
But there are drawbacks to the new sprayers, he said.
"The issue that we see a little bit is that they are so much quieter, people don't hear the spraying, so they are not sure if their properties have been treated," Mechenbier said.
But the positives outweigh the drawbacks.
"It's a little bit of a trade-off," Mechenbier said. "But to be green, and the less carbon is good for everybody."
He recommended that property owners check the Lake County website for their local spraying schedule to be sure their property has been treated.
The county also recommended residents take steps to avoid being bitten, including using mosquito repellant, avoiding being outside at dawn or dusk, and replacing outdoor lights with yellow bug lights that repel the insects.
What is West Nile Virus?
West Nile is a virus that can be transmitted to humans by mosquito bites. While eight out of every 10 people infected with the virus do not develop symptoms, one in five who do have symptoms develop fever, headaches, body and joint aches and pain, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
One out of every 150 people infected develops severe illnesses affecting the central nervous system. This included encephalitis, inflammation of the brain, or meningitis, inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms include coma, tremors, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. Recovery can take several weeks or months, and some effects may be permanent.
Certain populations, including people over 60 years of age, are at a greater risk of severe illness if they are infected, according to the CDC. One out of every 50 people in this population develop severe illness.
