Highland Park mosquitoes test positive for West Nile virus
Highland Park mosquitoes test positive for West Nile virus The Lake County Health Department reported Thursday that a batch of mosquitoes sampled June 23 in Highland Park has tested positive for West Nile virus, which marks "the first confirmed indicator of the disease's presence" in the county this year. According to information released by the health department Thursday afternoon, five human cases of West Nile virus were reported in Lake County in 2015, and a total of 68 pools or batches of mosquitoes and one bird tested positive for the virus. "This is the time of year when we begin to see mosquito pools testing positive for West Nile virus," Mark Pfister, the Health Department's interim executive director, said in a statement. Pfister added that with the arrival of hot weather, residents should protect themselves against mosquito bites by following a system of four D's — drain empty water from outdoor containers; dress with long-slee...