Steps To Take To Avoid West Nile Virus

It's that time of year again and the Skokie Health Department has some suggestions for reducing the risk of contracting West Nile Virus: stay indoors at dawn, dusk or early evening; wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants whenever you are outdoors; spray clothing with repellents when entering a heavily wooded area, wear protective clothing including hiking boots and gloves and apply insect repellent sparingly to exposed skin. The more effective repellents contain DEET. Property owners can discourage mosquito breeding areas by following the following guidelines: remove standing water, clean and maintain catch basins, change the water in birdbaths and plant pots at weekly, empty plastic pools daily, keep grass and shrubbery short, keep gutters clean and freeflowing, and don't let water stand on flat roofs. For more information or to report potential mosquito breeding sites, call the Skokie Health Department at 847.933.8484 or the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District at 847.446.9434.