AURORA, Ill. (STMW) – Three more batches of mosquitoes collected recently have tested positive for West Nile Virus, the Kane County health Department said Friday.

The mosquito batches were collected in Aurora, Montgomery and Carpentersville. This brings the total to five positive batches this year. These positive mosquito batches usually are the first indicators of West Nile activity.

Although it has been extremely dry, the few intermittent showers are enough to leave small pools of stagnant water where Culex mosquitoes can breed.

Also as part of its West Nile program, the Health Department is collecting dead birds to be sent to the state lab for testing. Call 630-444-3040 to report the presence of freshly-dead birds (such as crows or blue jays) to determine if West Nile testing is recommended. The birds must not show any signs of decay or trauma.

Kane County reported one human case of West Nile Virus in 2011 and five in 2010. In 2009, an unusually mild summer with cool temperatures, there were no human cases reported in Kane County.

You can view more detailed monitoring results from previous years by visiting kanehealth.com/west_nile.htm.

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