The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) is confirming the year’s first human case of West Nile virus in the region. The news comes shortly after a bird in the health unit’s area tested positive for the virus.
“This finding shows that some mosquitoes in the region are infected with West Nile virus and are transmitting it to humans and animals alike,” says Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Medical Officer of Health. “I am therefore reminding residents to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their families as mosquitoes remain active well into the fall months.”
For most people, the risk of illness from West Nile virus is low. However, it can cause serious illness in others. Mosquitoes can also carry other viruses that have the capacity to infect humans, such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). The latter is rare but can cause serious complications in humans.
To protect yourself when outdoors, the EOHU recommends that you:
- Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods or when mosquitoes are most active from dusk to dawn.
- Wear light-coloured clothing in tight-woven fabric.
- Use mesh bug jackets or hats.
- Consider the use of mosquito repellents used according to directions.
- Use mosquito netting or screened structures when sleeping outdoors.
To help control mosquito populations, you are encouraged to:
- Clean up and empty outdoor containers of stagnant water such as old tires, wheelbarrows, barrels, etc.
- Change water in bird baths at least once per week.
- Check swimming pools and make sure the pool’s pump is circulating.
- Turn over wading pools when not in use.
- Check and clear eaves troughs and drains to clear obstructions.
- Make sure drainage ditches are clear.
- Check flat roofs frequently for standing water.
- Carry out regular yard and lawn maintenance: collect or mulch any leaves or lawn cuttings, etc., that can serve as a food source for mosquito larvae.
- Turn over compost frequently and fill in low depression areas in lawns.
- Trim dense shrubbery where mosquitoes like to rest.
For more information, please contact the Eastern Ontario Health Unit at 613-933-1375 or 1-800-267-7120 or visit our website at EOHU.ca/WNV.
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