Peel Region has confirmed its first positive case of West Nile virus in mosquitoes in 2024.
In a news release, it says the mosquitoes carrying the virus were collected from a trap in Brampton near the intersection of Church Street and Centre Street.
According to Peel Public Health, West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne disease passed to humans via the bite of an infected mosquito. Symptoms of the virus can include a rash, fever, headache and vomiting. In severe cases, the virus can lead to long-lasting health issues or death, Health Canada states on its website.
Peel Public Health monitors West Nile virus activity across the region, which includes Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon, through the use of 33 mosquito traps.
Those traps are collected and tested weekly from June to September, the region said in the release.
“Peel Public Health also helps minimize mosquito populations by treating regional catch basins and other stagnant water sites with a larvicide to help reduce breeding,” it said.
The risk of being infected with the virus is low, said Peel Region. But it recommends residents protect themselves using a bug spray that contain the chemicals DEET or icaridin, which work by masking human odours to the mosquitoes to repel them.
It also recommends wearing tightly woven, light coloured clothing, avoiding shaded or wooden areas with a high mosquito population and ensuring window and door screens are fit securely and do not have holes.
Residents can also help by draining any water on their property that has been collecting and sitting there, it said.
“Water that is stagnant for more than seven days is an ideal breeding site for mosquitoes,” it said. It asks Peel residents to report water sites to Peel Public Health at 905-799-7700 (toll-free at 905-584-2216 in Caledon) or online.