On October 22, the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) sent a press release advising the public that this year\u2019s first human case of the West Nile virus had been detected in the region. The virus is carried by infected mosquitos and transferred through bites, and the positive human case indicates that the virus is present in the local mosquito population despite no mosquitos testing positive for the disease in the past.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis first human case of the year shows that West Nile virus remains a concern in our area throughout the fall,\u201d said Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Chief Medical Officer of Health at the EOHU. \u201cResidents should be aware and take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n
For most, West Nile virus does not carry a huge health risk. However, some vulnerable populations will experience severe symptoms, so caution is warranted. Residents are advised to avoid mosquitos as best they can if they weren\u2019t doing so already. Effective precautions include:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Using federally approved insect repellents containing DEET or icaridin<\/p>\n
\u2022 Wearing light-coloured clothing, long sleeves, pants, and socks when outside<\/p>\n
\u2022 Avoiding being outside at dusk and dawn, as mosquitoes are the most active at that time<\/p>\n
\u2022 Regularly draining standing water from around the yard<\/p>\n
\u2022 Ensuring that screens, windows, and doors are fully sealed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Although the virus has not been found in mosquitos thus far, the human case confirms it is present in the local mosquito population.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":3754,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sante"],"acf":[],"featured_media_global":[],"yoast_head":"\n