From scattered data to one clear view
The dashboard brings together surveillance, map lookup, and risk communication so the site feels like a real community tool instead of a long report page.
Vector surveillance
Highlights why West Nile activity is a central part of the site and gives the page a stronger visual identity.
Ticks, woods, and water
Balances the page visually by showing the landscape context behind stagnant-water and forest-exposure indicators.
Data Sources & Updates
Where this dashboard's data comes from
View full source table
| Dataset | Source | Update Frequency | Used For |
|---|---|---|---|
| WNV human cases (statewide) | IDPH WNV Surveillance Official | Weekly during season | Statewide trend chart |
| Positive mosquito batches (statewide) | IDPH WNV Surveillance Official | Weekly during season | Statewide batches chart |
| Lake County WNV guidance | Lake County Health Dept. LCHD | Seasonal | Prevention & reporting links |
| Tick guidance | IDPH & CDC public-health guidance Official | Seasonal | Tick risk awareness content |
| City-level WNV/tick risk scores | Student-created model (see Methodology) Modeled estimate | Manual update | HIGH/MOD/LOW labels per municipality |
| City historical pool counts (10-yr) | Estimated from IDPH county-level surveillance Modeled estimate | Manual update | City profile bar charts |
| 2026 early-season alerts | IDPH news releases & local news News-based | As released | 2026 panel & alert banner |
| Community sightings | User-submitted via form Community | Real-time / manual review | Local concern reporting |
Surveillance Data
Lake County Risk Indicators
Search Your Location
WNV Risk Index by season — this city/zone
City risk profile facts
Recommended Precautions
Risk by Municipality
2026 season rankings
Public health data sources
2026 season so far
Risk Score Methodology
How city-level risk levels are calculated Student-created model
The HIGH/MOD/LOW labels shown for each municipality are produced by a weighted scoring model I built using publicly available surveillance indicators. This is not an official Lake County or IDPH risk assessment — it's my best estimate using transparent inputs. Each city receives a score from 0–100, which maps to a risk band.
🦟 Mosquito / WNV Risk Score
🦠 Tick-Borne Risk Score
Score-to-band mapping
View model validation plan
Model validation plan
A scoring model is only as good as its accuracy against real-world outcomes. After the 2026 mosquito season closes (December 2026), this model will be validated against actual IDPH and LCHD surveillance data using the following process:
📊 Predictive accuracy
📈 Differentiation check
🔧 Weight adjustment
⚖️ Error tracking
Historical Trends — Illinois Statewide
Human WNV cases per year — Illinois (IDPH)
Positive mosquito batches per year — Illinois (IDPH)
Seasonal activity curve — Lake County (weekly index)
Public Awareness
Mosquito prevention
Eliminate standing water every week. Use EPA-registered repellents (DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus). Wear long sleeves at dusk and dawn, June–October. Repair window screens. (CDC prevention guide ↗)
Tick awareness
Ticks are active any time temperatures exceed 45°F (CDC ↗). Check yourself after outdoor activity. Use permethrin on clothing, DEET on skin. Remove ticks within 24–36 hrs to reduce Lyme transmission.
Report stagnant water
Standing water sitting more than one week? Report it via the form below — your email goes directly to Lake County Environmental Health. Call the WNV Hotline: (847) 377-8300.
Community Reporting
Report a sighting or concern
Fill out below — clicking "Send to Lake County Health Dept." opens your email pre-filled and ready to send to health@lakecountyil.gov
Community Impact
Project reach & community engagement goals
This dashboard is meant to be useful, not just exist. I'm tracking real impact metrics — feedback from public health professionals, families who view it, and reports submitted. Numbers will grow as the project shares more widely throughout the 2026 season.
About the Creator
Hi, I'm Ambuja Singh
I built Lake County BioRisk Mapper because public health information about mosquito-borne and tick-borne diseases in our community is scattered across government PDFs, technical surveillance pages, and news releases that most people never see. By the time families in Lake County hear about a West Nile positive pool near their neighborhood, the season is often well underway.
This site pulls that information together in one spot — type in your address and see what's going on in your area, what the risk level is, and who to contact if something looks off.