West Nile virus discovered in mosquito batch in Oshawa

A batch of adult mosquitoes collected in Oshawa have tested positive for West Nile virus, the second batch in Durham Region to test positive for the virus this season.

West Nile was detected in mosquitos in a test batch in Ajax earlier this month.

Every week between June and September, the Durham Region Health Department sets mosquito traps across the region and submits them for laboratory testing.

West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne disease that is spread to humans via the bite of an infected mosquito, which become infected by feeding on the blood of a bird that carries the virus. The disease is not passed from person to person, nor from bird to person.

Most people who contract the virus will experience mild illness including fever, headache, body ache, nausea, vomiting, and rash on the chest, stomach or back. More serious symptoms can include muscle weakness, stiff neck, confusion, tremors, numbness, and sudden sensitivity to light. Symptoms usually develop between two and 15 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.

Although the risk of becoming infected is low, the health department recommends that residents take precautions to minimize the risk of mosquito bites and the possibility of being infected:

• Wear shoes, socks and light-coloured clothing – including long sleeve tops and full-length pants when outside – especially at dusk or dawn when mosquitoes are most active
• Use insect repellent containing DEET or icaridin (picardin) on exposed skin
• Remove standing water from your property where mosquitoes can breed
• Ensure window and door screens are in good repair to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home

Health department officials help minimize mosquito populations by treating catch basins within Durham Region and other stagnant water sites with a larvicide to help reduce breeding.

For more information on WNV call Durham Health Connection Line at (905) 668-2020 or 1-800-841-2729 or visit durham.ca/WestNile.