Chatham-Kent Public Health has confirmed a sixth positive West Nile trap this season.
Lab tests found mosquitoes collected from a southwest Chatham trap Aug. 29 were infected, the agency said in a release.
West Nile virus is transmitted to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. Many people infected experience no symptoms.
Some may experience mild symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches and fatigue.
In rare cases, infected individuals may have more severe illness, including stiff neck, nausea, difficulty swallowing, vomiting, and lack of co-ordination or paralysis.
Anyone with severe symptoms should seek immediate medical attention. Older individuals and those with compromised immune systems are at higher risk of severe illness.
People can protect themselves by:
- Wearing light-colored clothing, including long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks
- Using insect repellent containing DEET
- Staying indoors from dusk to dawn, when mosquitoes are most active
- Ensuring door and window screens are tight and free of holes
- Eliminating standing water on your property to prevent mosquito breeding.
Because the virus is known to be in Chatham-Kent, CK Public Health will not publicly report further confirmations of positive mosquito pools for the remainder of this year’s trapping season.
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Mosquitoes in Forest test positive for West Nile virus
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Mosquitoes trapped in Chatham and Dresden test positive for West Nile virus