Grayslake can now be added to the growing list of Lake County communities with positive cases of the mosquito-borne West Nile virus.
According to information released by the Lake County Health Department Wednesday, a dead crow was collected in Grayslake July 6.
"It was found in the Hawley Court area just west of Lake Street," Grayslake Village Management Assistant Matt Formica said.
The village is working on preventive measures relating to the breeding of mosquitoes with the health department and Clarke Mosquito Control. Village trustees are expected to review the matter at Tuesday's board meeting and discuss whether additional funds are needed to combat or reduce mosquitoes in the area, Formica advised.
Besides Grayslake, a dead bird collected in Hawthorn Woods July 2 also tested positive for West Nile Virus. However, it was a dead blue jay found in Antioch June 5 that was the first indicator of the disease's presence in Lake County in 2004. A mosquito pool collected in Buffalo Grove June 24 was the county's first positive mosquito pool of the year.
"These positive cases remind us that we must continue to be vigilant and practice prevention methods against West Nile virus," said Dale Galassie, executive director of the county health department. "We are asking residents of Lake County to continue to partner with us to control the spread."
The health department has a hotline number available for residents to report dead birds, stagnant water where mosquitos breed and to get information on the signs or symptoms of West Nile Virus.
"A certain number (of birds) we pick up and have tested with the state," said Health Department Spokeswoman Leslie Piotrowski.
Health department biologist Mike Adam said tips on the hotline led to the health department collecting the dead birds in Grayslake, Hawthorn Woods and Antioch: "We get messages everyday."
Adam said the health department cannot pick up every dead bird found, and contacts the caller to find out more about the bird, which can help determine whether it is a good candidate for testing.
More often, Adam said, they are looking for dead crows or blue jays. However, all reported dead birds are recorded in a database and mapped.
The Illinois Department of Public Health has known for several years that West Nile Virus was present in Illinois, said a spokesman.
The first human case of the virus was reported in New York in 1999. In 2002, eight human cases of the virus were recorded in Lake County, including one fatality. There was one probable human case of West Nile Virus infection identified in the county last year.
The county health department recently received $30,000 from the Illinois Department of Public Health for emergency larvacide treatment of mosquitoes. Communities across the county have already begun to spray for mosquitoes. Many villages are paying for additional sprays following the flooding of the Des Plaines River. The standing water created ripe breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
The health department is urging residents to prevent mosquito breeding by keeping trash containers covered, discarding old tires or containers that can hold water, emptying plastic wading pools at least once a week, filling in tree rot holes and hollow stumps, changing the water in bird baths and storing boats upside down.
To minimize mosquito bites, the health department recommends limiting outdoor activity as dusk, wearing light-colored clothing that minimizes skin exposure, making sure door and window screens fit tightly and applying mosquito repellent to clothing.