West Nile Virus Has Been Found In Mosquito Pools Across Ontario & Here's How To Stay Safe
Don't forget your insect repellent!
Several mosquito pools across Ontario have recently tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV) this summer.
Toronto Public Health (TPH) reports that five pools have tested positive in Etobicoke, North York and west Toronto for the first time this year. However, the risk of being infected with WNV is still low in Toronto, according to a news release posted on August 8.
Hamilton, Durham Region, and Halton Region have also recently reported infected mosquito pools within the last few weeks.
As of August 5, Halton Region reports that a group of mosquitoes captured in Oakville have tested positive for the virus.
Durham Region has found two positive pools — one in Oshawa, and the other in Clarington — from testing between June 9 to August 4, according to their website.
Hamilton's risk for WNV moved from low to moderate after a group of mosquitoes tested positive in the week of July 29, according to a news release.
Symptoms of WNV
WNV is an infection that people can contract through mosquito bites and can cause sickness and severe illness in elderly and immunocompromised people, according to TPH.
If you happen to get infected with the virus, symptoms, which can include "fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, body aches, skin rash and swollen lymph glands," will develop in two to 14 days following the bite.
Although, according to the City of Hamilton, "approximately four-out-of-five people infected with West Nile Virus will have no symptoms."
Twenty percent of those infected may develop West Nile fever, and only 1% will develop severe illness.
So, while you may feel concerned about recent WNV findings, there is no need to panic.
How to stay safe
To avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, TPH recommends residents wear light-coloured clothing, long sleeve shirts, and pants when outdoors and apply insect repellent – especially at "peak mosquito-biting hours" during "dusk and dawn."
Standing water (a.k.a. any container that can collect water) is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, so if you have any on your property, you may want to remove them just to be safe.
Another precautionary step is to ensure windows and doors have tightly fitted screens so mosquitoes can't get in.