West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes reported in Ontario

Mosquitoes have already been discovered in Northern Ontario, which is only half the season of mosquitoes. West Nile virus positive in Ontario.. As a result, public health officials in several communities in Southern Ontario (Hamilton, Ariston) advised residents to take precautions.

The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes and usually causes only mild symptoms like flu for most people. In some cases, it can cause serious illnesses such as meningitis and encephalitis, usually in the elderly (50+) and in people with weakened immunity.

According to Health Canada West Nile virus infections can result from being bitten by an infected mosquito and usually ate the blood of a previously infected bird.

Sean Rollo, an entomologist at Orkin Canada, a company that specializes in pest control, almost always makes mosquitoes annoying, but it’s still annoying.

“The West Nile virus is certainly a concern. Perhaps it’s the elderly who have compromised immune systems. They may be very young and underdeveloped. So West Nile , We need to worry more.”

He said reports of positive cases of mosquitoes caught in Ontario traps may be part of what was first reported in Canada this year. Rollo said that it does not mean that there are no other cases, and that they are not always reported. He said the mosquito season in northern Ontario usually lasts from late May to early September.

He said the first human clinical case reported in Canada returned in 2002. There were 414 human cases reported in Canada that year. Since then, according to Lolo, this number has increased and decreased over the years. The highest was 2007, with over 2200 cases. The lowest year was 2010, when only five human cases were reported in Canada.

He said that, in most cases, mosquitoes can be controlled by applying non-toxic larval pesticides that can be applied to specific areas. In some cases, it may be a large area such as a city park. In other cases, it can be a smaller area such as commercial or residential real estate. For privacy reasons, Lolo said he could not reveal the name of the Greater Sudbury or Northern Ontario clients who purchased the control service. He said there are many in both the public and private sectors.

For the last few years, Public Health Sudbury and District We conducted a surveillance and mosquito removal program. We also provide a health unit Education and awareness programs They were instructed to encourage property owners to remove areas of standing water, such as bird tubs, rain gutters, and large pools of mosquitoes that could spawn.

Mr Loro said this year that the outbreak of COVID-19 has caused Orkin to see a dramatic surge in the number of calls from people worried about mosquitoes. He said many companies have decided to cut budgets on maintenance services to save money.

“In doing so, we inadvertently create an environment that is very conducive to pests,” Rollo said. “The interesting thing with COVID for everyone who works at home, or the majority of those who work at home especially during shutdowns, is that people are aware of the pests around their homes.”

He said this not only increased the mosquito swarm, but also calls for wasps and ants.

“There has been an unusually high demand for housing pest control,” Lolo said.

Certainly we do not want to cause a widespread panic about the West Nile virus. COVID-19 remains in my mind. That said, I don’t want to downplay the fact that the West Nile exists.

According to Loro, the number of cases in the last few years has been relatively low, Number has roller coasters Similarly over the years.

“Most of them definitely match municipalities that either do or do not have mosquito control services.”

Municipalities that provide mosquito control services said mosquito infections would be significantly reduced and virus exposure would be significantly reduced. Most West Nile cases show very mild symptoms and are often not followed up, according to Lolo.

“People are unlikely to be tested, so we don’t know the true range or the true number,” he said.