Article content
Public health officials have detected the first human case of West Nile virus in the London area this year.
The confirmation Friday comes after the Middlesex-London Health Unit previously warned that mosquitoes caught in four traps in the area tested positive for the virus.
In total, there have been four confirmed human cases of West Nile in Ontario this year – one of them in the London region – with 67 mosquito pools testing positive for the virus, health officials say.
Article content
Earlier this month, Southwestern Public Health – the health unit for Oxford and Elgin counties including St. Thomas and Woodstock – confirmed a mosquito trapped near Aylmer was the first to test positive for the virus this year.
“Despite prevention efforts, we’re seeing a lot of mosquitoes and larvae due to record rain falls this summer,” Dr. Joanne Kearon, the Middlesex-London Health Unit’s associate medical officer of health, said in a statement.
“This human case emphasizes the need for everyone in our community to take precautions. We must continue to protect ourselves by taking personal measures against mosquito bites.”
Recommended from Editorial
The Middlesex-London Health Unit monitors 23 mosquito trapping sites in London and Middlesex County as part of a 17-week study that continues until September. It also treats catch basins on public property to fight the virus.
Per the Public Health Agency of Canada, the majority of people who get West Nile show no symptoms. For those who do show them, symptoms can include fever, headache and a mild rash. Fewer than one per cent of people infected will develop “severe symptoms and health effects,” officials say.
Article content
AVOIDING WEST NILE VIRUS
- Wear light-coloured clothing, including shirts with long sleeves, pants and socks, in areas where mosquitoes are present, especially at dusk and dawn when they’re most active
- Use insect repellent with DEET, especially for children, following manufacturer’s directions
- Fix holes in window and door screens
- Regularly empty standing water from garbage cans, wheelbarrows, toys, flowerpots and saucers, pool covers, tires, and other items around your home and yard
- Clean and change water in birdbaths every other day
- Ensure swimming pools are closed and opened properly
- Cover openings in rain barrels
Source: Middlesex-London Health Unit
Share this article in your social network
