For the first time this season, a batch of mosquitoes in Oshawa have tested positive for West Nile virus .
Durham Region Health Department says the positive batch of mosquitoes was collected from one of the Health Department’s mosquito trap sites located in Oshawa. Every week between June and September, the Health Department sets mosquito traps across the region and submits mosquitoes for laboratory testing.Mosquitoes become infected by feeding on the blood of a bird that carries the virus.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.Although the risk of becoming infected is low, the Health Department recommends that residents take the following precautions to minimize the risk of mosquito bites and the possibility of being infected with WNV:
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.Remove standing water from your property where mosquitoes can breed.Durham Region helps minimize mosquito populations by treating regional catch basins and other stagnant water sites with a larvicide to help reduce breeding.
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