Ottawa mosquitoes test positive for West Nile virus

The LaSalle County Health Department says a batch of mosquitoes in Ottawa have tested positive for West Nile virus. The batch was collected Thursday and tested by Environmental Health scientists. This is the fifth batch of mosquitoes in the county to have West Nile. The bugs pick up the disease from birds and can pass it on to humans when they bite. The health department says most people won’t feel symptoms, but some who have weakened immune systems might get a fever, nausea, headache, and muscle aches. Symptoms can last from a few days to a few weeks. The department says to make sure you reduce standing water so mosquitoes can’t breed, wear bug spray with DEET, and report areas of standing water where mosquitoes could breed. Other batches that tested positive were collected in Marseilles, LaSalle, and Utica. Two batches were collected in LaSalle.