West Nile surveillance activities for the season have begun in Durham Region.
The health department says they have started trapping and testing batches of adult mosquitoes to test them for the virus.
West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne disease that is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected by feeding on the blood of birds that carry the virus.
Health officials say the disease is not passed from person-to-person or from bird-to-person.
Last year, Durham had one confirmed and two probable human cases of West Nile virus.
In 2022, 15 batches of mosquitoes trapped by the health department tested positive for the virus – an uptick from the 10 positive batches recorded in 2021.
The health department also conducts larval mosquito surveillance, as well as a larviciding program involving the regional catch basins.
You should try to cover up any standing water on your property to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs.
You can also help by:
- Chlorinating rain barrels or cover them with mosquito screening
- Draining water from pool and chair covers, ceramic pots, wading pools, bird baths, planters, etc.
- Checking that roof gutters are cleared and draining properly
- Cleaning and maintaining swimming pools and outdoor hot tubs
- Removing any unused tires from your property
- Ensuring that drainage ditches are not backed up and holding stagnant water
To protect yourself, health officials are encouraging you to take the following precautions:
- When outside, wear shoes, socks and light-coloured clothing with long sleeves and full-length pants; especially overnight, between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active
- Use insect repellent containing DEET on exposed skin, following Health Canada’s safety tips on using personal insect repellents
- Ensure door and window screens are tight-fitting and in good repair
- Keep grass, shrubs and hedges trimmed
- Turn over compost piles regularly
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